Video of Aussie cricket great Jason Gillespie performing a classy act leaves country’s cricket fans ashamed
- Stylish act from Aussie Test great Jason Gillespie goes viral
- Ex-fast bowler now coaches Pakistan men’s team
Footage of Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie cleaning up after the Pakistan cricket team left the country’s fans red-faced.
Gillespie, 49, is the coach of the struggling Pakistan national Test team, which is currently one of the toughest gigs in world sport.
Pakistan has been a powerhouse in cricket for decades and has had a disastrous run for several years, both in the red ball and white ball game.
Gillespie – who took over the Pakistan Test team in April – has a big job ahead of him, with some players in the squad criticized for attitude problems.
This was highlighted on Tuesday when Gillespie was spotted picking up discarded rubbish left behind by his players after their training in Rawalpindi.
Embarrassed Pakistani cricket fans have taken to social media to say the clip speaks volumes about their national team.
A fan posted on X: ‘Gillespie picked up the empty bottles left by the Pakistani players after the practice session. It’s just a small thing, but it shows the mentality of our players. Cleaning up after yourself seems to be considered a menial task. Learn some basic manners.”
Another fan wrote, “It’s heartbreaking to see the state of Pakistan’s cricket infrastructure. When head coach Jason Gillespie picks up trash due to lack of cleaning staff. And the interesting thing is that to avoid this shame, they called it humility.”
Video footage of Australian cricket great Jason Gillespie performing a stylish act has gone viral
A third posted: ‘This tells you everything you need to know about Jason Gillespie and a lot about the Pakistani players too. It doesn’t take much to pick up your trash and show respect for the grounds staff. The Pakistani players apparently consider themselves far too important.’
Another replied: ‘It has to do with the whole subcontinent tbh. We are quite a classical society where people in ‘menial’ jobs are not considered worthwhile.’
Gillespie has said the coaching job in Pakistan is his biggest challenge yet as he looks to guide the national team out of their nosedive.
The team faces a huge challenge when they play world champions Australia in a one-day series starting on November 4.
Former national coach, Australian Micky Arthur, says Pakistan has no shortage of talent.
“There are some incredible players [on the Pakistan side]but what the team lacks is stability,” Arthur told Al Jazeera.
“Stability comes from the top: in team selection, consistency in player roles and making sure each player understands their role,” he explained.
“The instability within Pakistani cricket is creating chaos and the players end up playing for themselves because they don’t know what the next regime has in mind. It breeds mediocrity.”