Pakistan's newly appointed head coaches, Gary Kirsten and Jason Gillespie, do not want to complicate things for the team and so want to set simple goals.
South African Kirsten's ask is the team has to win at least one out of three upcoming ICC events in the next three years. Gillespie, the former Australia pacer, wants the players to stay "authentic" and not alter their game style to suit a specific method.
Kirsten was on Sunday named as the Pakistan head coach for ODIs and T20Is, while Gillespie will be in charge of the Test team.
Among the marquee events lined up between now and 2026, there are two T20 World Cups (2024 and 2026) along with the 2025 ODI Champions Trophy which PCB will be hosting.
"If you can win one of those three ICC events, that will be an amazing achievement on its own, whether it's the upcoming event (T20 World Cup) or it is two years from now," Kirsten said in a PCB Podcast, when asked about his targets during his tenure.
"My job is to make sure that the team operates at its best. If the team is operating at its best, we will always have a good chance of winning a trophy. So for me, it will be really important to understand where the team is now and where does it need to go to be able to compete right at the top of the pile, and that’s winning ICC events," said the 56-year-old former left-handed batsman.
Kirsten admitted to the paucity of time for the T20 World Cup — to be held in June in the West Indies and the USA — preparations as he will have to complete his IPL assignment as the mentor of Guajart Titans.
"It just so happened that I am on an assignment. So, it was difficult to move away, I’ve got to see my contract out here. But the plans are already in place.
"Azhar Mahmood as interim head coach is doing a great job. We are communicating at the moment. I’m getting to understand the team and how they’re playing. I’m watching them play, which is great.
"It is going to be a quick turnaround (for me), there's no doubt, we just have to accept that. But, we are hoping that we can build some structures into the team over the course of the next three weeks or so to provide clarity that the players need going into the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup."
'Play with a smile'
The 49-year-old Gillespie, who coached Yorkshire to the County Championship title in 2014 and 2015, said: "I simply want the Pakistan cricket team to play the style of cricket that's going to suit them; for me, that's important. My philosophy is — don't try to be something that you're not!"
"You've got to be authentic in how you go about it. I will go out there and say: 'just be positive, aggressive, entertaining'. Play with a smile on your faces and entertain our fans.
"There are going to be times when you have to grind it out, and that's what Test cricket is. It's a test of your skills, mental capacity, and patience. There are times to attack and times to soak up some periods of cricket from the opposition," he said.
Gillespie, who represented Australia in 71 Tests and 97 ODIs, picking up 259 and 142 wickets respectively, said Pakistan boast of skillful players but consistency is something which they need to work upon.
"If we can be as consistent as we can, then hopefully, the scoreboard will look after itself, and we can pick up some wins. Watching Pakistan play from afar, I know they are very gifted and skillful players.
"But sometimes, you also hear the commentators talk about their inconsistencies, how Pakistan can be more consistent and stay in the games longer.
"I'll be speaking to the players about this as the players need to decide how they want to see themselves and how we can make that happen.
