Kolkata : Former Australian pacer and Pakistan Test team head coach Jason Gillespie has stepped down from the position on December 12, 2024.
Gillespie, who was appointed in April, 2024 as Pakistani Red Ball head coach for 2 years ended his terms after being unhappy regarding multiple things with Pakistan team, as a result of which his relations with PCB worsened.
Few days back, Gillespie didn’t broad the flight with Pakistan team that went to South Africa for long series. His scheduled flight to South Africa was at 6AM Adelaide time on Friday, but he informed the PCB he had no intention of boarding it, deciding instead to walk away as relations between the coach and the board hit an all-time low.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DDfRsFgTtKo/?igsh=MXJuY2ptdjY4Z2Rvbw==
Aaqib Javed will take over as Test coach on an interim basis for the series in South Africa; he is currently the interim coach of both white-ball sides.
Few days before multiple reports suggested that both PCB and Gillespie aren’t in good terms and his days as head coach might end soon, with Javed set to replace him. However, PCB refuted the reports saying that the Australian would be available for ODI series against South Africa. However, the relationship between the board and the coach only went from bad to worse, and Gillespie would not take charge of another Test for Pakistan again.
Gillespie was left particularly angered after the PCB decided against renewing high-performance red-ball coach Tim Nielsen’s contract, and had been left considering his options.
He was offended as he wasn’t consulted, or even told, before that decision was taken, and is understood to have left a lack of respect on part of the PCB.
Besides these, Gillespie was unhappy after he was kept in loop regarding few key decisions during Test series against England. He was also reportedly kept out of important meetings and decisions regarding Pakistan Cricket.
His resignation comes 2 months after the resignation of white Ball coach Gary Kirsten, who was recruited along with the Australian in April, but ended terms on October.
Gillespie’s 1st assignment as Test head coach started with shocking 2-0 upset against Bangladesh on Home soil. Following this, Pakistan clinched 2-1 Test victory against England in own backyard, coming back from 0-1. Later on, he joined Pakistani white ball team for successful and historic 2-1 victory against Australia in Australia.
With the end of Gillespie- Kirsten saga, Aaqib Javed will take over as interim red ball coach of Pakistan.
“The PCB has named Aaqib Javed as interim red Ball head coach following resignation of red Ball head coach Jason Gillespie”, PCB said in a statement.
Javed is currently with Pakistani white Ball team for 3 Match ODI & T20I series against South Africa and his first assignment as Test head coach will be Pakistan’s 2 Match Test Series against Proteas from December 26-30, 2024 & January 3-7, 2025.
