‘It was pretty clear to us where CA’s priorities lie’: Pakan coach Jason Gillespie on Cricket Australia promoting BGT ahead of ODI series against Pakan | Cricket News
While Pakan created hory on Sunday with their firsts ODI series win over Australia since 2002 with an eight-wicket over the world champions in Perth, Pakan coach Jason Gillespie feels that the series was not a priority for Cricket Australia. Gillespie, who was appointed Pakan’s white-ball coach for an interim role after Gary Kirsten’s departure, termed it as a surprise.
“To be honest I pretty much saw no promotion of our one-day series Cricket Australia, which was a bit of a surprise. It’s pretty obvious that they’re prioritising the Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test series against India, because I saw no promotion of this series. Fox does a great job promoting, but it was pretty clear to us where CA’s priorities lie. That’s their prerogative and their decision, but I just didn’t see any advertising, and promotion of this one-day series at all,” said Gillespie while talking with Sydney Morning Herald.
Sunday saw Pakan scoring its 36th win against Australia in 11 ODI matches played between the two countries since 1975, when the two countries faced each other for the first time in an ODI during the 1975 World Cup. With Pakan set to play a three-match T20I series against Australia starting Thursday and with the first Test of Border-Gavaskar Trophy starting November 22, it has been a packed summer for international cricket in Australia. The former Australian pacer counted the scheduling difficult for the adminrators.
“It’s really difficult for adminrators to schedule all the cricket in. But it has felt from Pakan’s perspective that based on selections and promotion of the series that their priorities have been India. Everyone can see that, it’s pretty obvious,” added Gillespie.
With Australia resting ODI World Cup winner captain Pat Cummins along with pacers Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood and batsman Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne, for the series deciding third ODI, the Pakan coach told the paper that the team had anticipated that.
“We knew that there was probably going to be some change, knowing what Australia have coming up. You always thought at the back of your mind were they going to send the big quicks over to Perth to play one 50-over game. We anticipated that, and that’s the nature of modern cricket and it’s up to selectors, coaches to manage their players as best they can. Australia chose to do that. It was pretty obvious that this three-match one-day series wasn’t the highest of priorities for Australia,” said Gillespie.