Pakistan's red-ball head coach, Jason Gillespie, has highlighted player fitness as a crucial area of focus ahead of the upcoming Test series against England. The three-match series kicks off in Multan on Monday.
The former Australian legend was appointed as the red-ball coach in April and is determined to guide Pakistan back to winning form following a disappointing 2-0 series defeat to Bangladesh.
"We can't afford to have players in international cricket who are not fit or strong enough to negotiate the rigours of the game," Gillespie said in a recent interview.
Reflecting on the Bangladesh series, the 49-year-old acknowledged the need for more consistency and fine-tuning of skills.
"What I've learned from the Bangladesh series is that we've got some wonderful players, but we need to be more consistent. We've got the skills but we need to keep fine-tuning them," he said.
"There's also been plenty of talks around fitness and we're making sure that it's a key component for us going forward," he added.
Pakistan's Test captain, Shan Masood, has faced criticism following a series of poor performances. However, the head coach of the red-ball team offered his support for the under-pressure skipper.
"Shan has got a very clear plan on how the Test side should play and we are completely aligned on that," he said.
"There are things people don't see and I've been really impressed by his communication with the players and how he's gone about doing his job," he added.
Pakistan will face a formidable England side led by Brendon McCullum. Despite the challenges, Gillespie remains optimistic about Pakistan's chances.
"I think we match up well against England. It's going to be a challenging series. We know we are probably the underdogs, but we are excited to show what we can do," he concluded.
Is is worth noting that the three-match re-ball format series between Pakistan and England is set to begin on October 7th in Multan. The national team aims to make a positive comeback following a disappointing 2-0 whitewash against Bangladesh.
Pakistan squad for first Test against England: Shan Masood (captain), Saud Shakeel (vice-captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Huraira, Mohammad Rizwan (wicket-keeper), Naseem Shah, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicket-keeper), and Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zahid Mehmood.
England squad for Pakistan Test series: Ben Stokes (C), Rehan Ahmed, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Josh Hull, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
Pakistan, England Test series schedule: