I want to show confidence in the players: Pakistani cricket coach Jason Gillespie | Cricket news

The Pakistan men's cricket team has had a tumultuous year, failing miserably at both the Over-50s World Cup in November and the T20 World Cup in June. In the Test format, they lost a series away in Australia and then, most recently, their first series against Bangladesh at home.

Babar Azam, their all-format star batsman, has gone through a lean spell and has returned the captaincy of the limited overs team for the second time in eleven months. Pakistan's pace bowlers, historically their strongest asset, have failed to deliver at crucial moments and their Test captain, Shan Masood, has failed to score a century in his last 14 innings.

Come in, Jason Gillespie. The former Australian fast bowler turned cricket coach has taken over as head coach of the Test team and was in charge when Pakistan lost the series against Bangladesh.

Gillespie finds himself in difficult circumstances, especially as eighth-placed Pakistan are in a busy period of Test cricket and host third-placed England in a three-match Test series from Monday.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeer's Kevin Hand, Gillespie reveals his plans for the Pakistan side.

Al Jazeera: You took over at a busy time, but also during one of the worst periods in recent years. How do you plan to prevent a further decline?

Jason Gillespie: When I took on this role, I knew this was true [going to be] a challenge, but I took it in stride and enjoyed the opportunity. It won't be easy, but I have confidence in the players and their abilities. I am confident that I, my coaching staff and support staff can help them play the best cricket possible.

We played good cricket [against Bangladesh]but we didn't play enough good cricket. We played a good hour and then a bad hour. Consistency is the key in Test cricket. If you get to the top, you stay at the top.

We have to keep the game going a little longer. We need to become sharper and be consistent and disciplined for longer. Gary Kirsten [Pakistans new white-ball coach] and I have found that when we are more robust, fitter and stronger, we can consistently perform our skills with more discipline.

Al Jazeera: How is this job different from the other coaching jobs you have taken on in the past?

Gillespie: It's a completely different environment.

For starters, it's a Test coaching gig, unlike domestic cricket. I've coached a lot in the UK and coached a lot in Australia, I've done a bit in India with the Indian Premier League and in Zimbabwe, so this is a new challenge.

I observe and listen a lot to try to understand it properly and add value.

I was aware that I wasn't just going to come in, be bold and say, I know all that, do this, do this and this. I wanted to come in and listen, learn and get a feel for what Pakistani cricket is about. It was a good learning curve.

Al Jazeera: What is your first goal with this team?

Gillespie: I have made it very clear that I want to show confidence in players. If performance is not where it wants to be for a significant period of time, change will naturally occur.

I'm already two Test matches into work, so I don't want to make any major changes. That doesn't really show support and faith.

I want to see improvement, progress and learn from the previous one in this series. We've had some good discussions about how we want to be perceived, how we want to go about that and one thing that really stands out for me is the enormous pride the players have in representing Pakistan. It hurts them when they don't perform well.

The players want the country to be proud of them, to give the people something to aspire to and to make the people of Pakistan feel good about themselves. I am very proud of the players for sharing their thoughts and feelings.

There is a lot of criticism in the media, many former players can be quite critical. They have a role to play when they are in the media. All current players idolize the former players they grew up watching and supporting. When a former player talks positively about the team or an individual, these guys grow three feet taller.

I would like to see them support the current players in the media.

Al Jazeera: Pakistani cricket is notorious for its instability and frequent changes behind the scenes. How does this affect the team's performance?

Gillespie: If there is inconsistency off the field, I have to ensure consistency on the field

I see it as an important part of my role to create an environment for players. Comfortable is not the word as we want players to be constantly challenged to improve, but we want it to be a safe environment where players know they can play their game with the support of the support staff and the PCB.

If they get that support, they can go out and represent Pakistan to the best of their ability. I strive very hard with my staff to create an environment where the players can speak freely and openly.

Al Jazeera: How do you rate Shan Masood as a captain?

Gillespie: Shan plays a big role. He is a great leader, but he is criticized because the team has not performed well.

People should remember that Shan is still very new to this role and only got it in Australia late last year. He has already captained five Test matches, so it is early days in his leadership.

The way he wants the team to do their job and play, we are both 100 percent aligned with that. We spoke the same language.

A lot of people see the way he works and doesn't speak to the players off the field. In and around training he is a positive influence and shows his support and belief and support for all his teammates.

Al Jazeera: You have spoken about mental and physical fitness as a core requirement for a successful cricket team. Why did you feel the need to bring this to the attention of a group of leading cricketers from one of the biggest cricketing nations?

Gillespie: It is an area that definitely needs improvement to give ourselves the best chances [on the field].

Whether you are a domestic player or an international player, it is your responsibility to be as fit, robust and as strong as possible to handle the rigors of international cricket. It's that simple. It's part of your job. We must continue to push these standards and challenge our players to continue to improve.

As head coaches, Gary and I believe that when players come into the international side, we shouldn't talk about fitness. It should be a given. It's like getting up and brushing your teeth. Maintain it, develop it and improve it.

In our sport we always talk about training and improving our batting, bowling and fielding fitness is exactly the same. We need to ensure, both at a state and national level, that fitness is understood and respected as something that is vitally important.

Al Jazeera: In a recent domestic game broadcast, you emphasized the importance of load management for the players. How are you going to implement it?

Gillespie:Gary and I will work closely together. He has two formats and I have one, but between us we have a number of players who play all formats and we want them to be available to play for Pakistan as much as possible.

We want to identify games and series where we can manage our players. Not only are there three formats to represent your country, there is domestic cricket, there are also international T20 competitions. We don't want to prevent players from gaining those experiences and earning those financial incentives, but we also have to keep in mind that these players represent Pakistan and we want them to play for their country as much as possible.

It's a difficult balance, but I haven't shied away from the fact that there may be times when we need to look after a few players for some Test matches, or Gary with T20 or one-day matches, to make sure we get the best . out of them.