Jason Gillespie file photo©AFP
Jason Gillespie has resigned as Pakistan’s Test team coach and former pacer Aaqib Javed will replace the Australian in the upcoming two-match series against South Africa, the PCB announced on Thursday. Pakistan are scheduled to play two Tests against the Proteas from December 26 and they have already entered the Rainbow Nation for the white-ball leg of the tour. Aqib is currently the interim coach of the Pakistan white-ball team.
Gillespie, whose contract was due to expire in 2026, resigned after the Pakistan Cricket Board failed to review the contract of Tim Nielsen, who was brought in as the team’s high-performance coach on the recommendation of the former Aussie quick.
Sab Ja Rahe Hain #jasongillespie Khuda Hafiz pic.twitter.com/RF74tbho8K
— iffi Raza (@Rizzvi73) December 12, 2024
Gillespie was also angered by the PCB’s decision to exempt him from team selection powers and involvement in pitch preparation.
They removed any say he had on selection issues.
They stripped him of any authority he had over selecting players for the Test team.
They removed any say he had in choosing the final eleven for the Test team.
They fired his assistant head coach but didn’t tell him anything.
Jason Gillespie…
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) December 12, 2024
It will be recalled that Gary Kirsten, who joined Gillespie as the white-ball side coach, had resigned before Pakistan departed for the series in Australia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Kirsten had resigned due to differences with the PCB over authority issues.
Gillespie and Kirsten were appointed on two-year contracts ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup, with the PCB promising a new era for the Pakistan team.
However, when Aqib was brought in as a senior selector and the PCB gave him full authority, including team selection, foreign coaches began to have a falling out with the board.
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