In a dramatic turn of events, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that Jason Gillespie has resigned as the national Test head coach, ending a tenure marred by escalating tensions. The news follows days of uncertainty, culminating in Gillespie’s refusal to board his scheduled flight to join the Pakistan Test squad in South Africa.
Instead of heading to the airport for his departure from Adelaide on Friday, Jason Gillespie informed the PCB he was walking away—a move underscoring the severe breakdown in relations. Aqib Javed, currently the interim coach for Pakistan’s limited-overs sides, will now assume interim Test coaching duties for the upcoming series in South Africa.
This swift leadership shift arrives after weeks of speculation over Gillespie’s long-term future, with sources close to the matter suggesting that his exit has been on the horizon since last month.
Insiders indicate Jason Gillespie’s dissatisfaction spiked when the PCB declined to renew the contract of high-performance red-ball coach Tim Nielsen, a decision made without Gillespie’s input. This lack of consultation is said to have left Gillespie feeling disrespected and sidelined, further fracturing a relationship already on thin ice. Nielsen, who expressed willingness to continue supporting the team through the South Africa and West Indies series, was informed his services were no longer required—a move that Gillespie took as the final straw.
Gillespie’s appointment, originally announced with great fanfare in April alongside Gary Kirsten, has gradually unravelled since October. The board initially removed him from the Test selection panel, reducing him to what he described as little more than a “matchday analyst.” The Australian coach felt increasingly marginalized, having minimal influence over squad choices—including those made for the South Africa tour—and left in the dark about key staffing decisions like Nielsen’s contract.
Communication between Jason Gillespie and the PCB reportedly dwindled after the team’s white-ball series in Australia, where he served as interim head coach following Kirsten’s departure. While the PCB floated the idea of Gillespie continuing through the ICC Champions Trophy, no suitable financial arrangement was offered. This further strained an already tenuous relationship.
With Aqib Javed assuming interim responsibility across all formats and a seat on the selection panel, the PCB appears to be steering its coaching structure in a new direction—one that distances itself from the high-profile international hires made earlier in the year.
Jason Gillespie’s departure now allows the board to reset ahead of the first Test in Centurion on December 26 and the second Test in Cape Town on January 3—opening a new chapter in Pakistan’s cricketing narrative, one defined by a swift leadership change and the hope of more stable ground ahead.
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This was eminent ever since the hostile take over of Cricketing matters by Aqib Javed