Former Australian fast-bowling legend Jason Gillespie has broken his silence on the dramatic and short-lived nature of his role as the head coach of Pakistan's Test cricket team. Gillespie described a series of actions by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that left him feeling "completely humiliated" and compelled him to resign after just nine months.
The Dual-Coach Experiment That Quickly Unravelled
The PCB's much-discussed dual-coach model, initiated in April 2024, saw Gillespie appointed to lead the red-ball (Test) format while former South African batter Gary Kirsten took charge of the white-ball sides. However, this structure began to collapse within months. Kirsten departed in October 2024, and Gillespie's tenure ended in December 2024 following a pivotal incident.
The final breaking point, according to Gillespie, was the PCB's abrupt decision to remove senior assistant coach Tim Nielsen without any prior consultation with him. Nielsen, a former Australia head coach himself, had been hired as the high-performance red-ball coach in August 2024 but was let go ahead of Pakistan's tour of South Africa in the 2024-25 season.
"Zero Communication" and a Sense of Humiliation
Expressing his frustration on social media platform X, Gillespie wrote, "I was coaching the Pakistan Test side. The PCB sacked our senior assistant coach with ZERO communication with me about it." He emphasized that as the head coach, he found this situation utterly unacceptable and that it was compounded by other issues which left him feeling entirely humiliated.
In an interview with ABC Sport, Gillespie elaborated that while he entered the job aware of Pakistan's history of frequent coaching changes, the blindsiding nature of Nielsen's dismissal was the last straw. "The straw that broke the camel's back was being completely and utterly blindsided by that decision," he stated. He further revealed a pervasive lack of dialogue, making him question whether the board actually wanted him in the role.
Marginalised Role and Ongoing Financial Dispute
Gillespie also shed light on his marginalised position within the team setup, comparing his involvement to merely "hitting catches" on the morning of a match. He stressed the critical importance of clear communication channels with team selectors and administrators, which he felt were absent.
Following a brief stint as the interim white-ball coach, Gillespie was ultimately replaced across all formats by former Pakistani cricketer Aaqib Javed. The saga, however, continues off the field. Reports from ESPNCricinfo indicate that Gillespie and the PCB are now locked in a financial dispute. The former coach claims unpaid dues, while the board counters that he failed to provide the contractually mandated four-month notice before resigning.
This candid revelation from a respected international figure highlights the ongoing administrative challenges within Pakistan cricket, raising serious questions about the PCB's management style and its treatment of high-profile coaching staff.
