In a shocking manner on Thursday evening, Jason Gillespie resigned as Pakistan’s red ball head coach a day before his scheduled flight to South Africa for a test series against the Proteas. A day before he had to fly to South Africa, Gillespie told the PCB that he had no intention of boarding his booked aircraft; instead, he decided to quit his job.
The resignation of Gillespie may be shocking for PCB, but in international media, there were rumors almost a month ago that the relations between the Australian coach and the Pakistan Cricket Board are at an all-time low and Gillespie could quit as Pakistan’s red-ball head coach. The PCB didn’t say anything officially about it but informed that Aaqib Javed, who is now the interim coach of both white-ball teams, will temporarily take over as Test coach for the series in South Africa.
Jason Gillespie resigns as Pakistan red-ball coach
— ARY NEWS (@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL) December 12, 2024
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According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the reason for Gillspie’s resignation was the PCB’s denial to renew high-performance red-ball coach Tim Nielsen’s contract, which left him angered and had him considering his options. Gillespie was outraged that he wasn’t informed or even consulted before the decision was made.
The decision not to renew Tim Nielsen’s contract proved to be the “final nail in the coffin” in a dying relationship between Gillespie and PCB, which had continually fractured over the past few months.
Gillespie was hired by the PCB in April, with chairman Mohsin Naqvi praising his “stellar track record” before him. However, since October, the board has cooled on the Australian, removing him from the Test selection panel. It left him believing he was only a “matchday analyst,” pointing out that this was not what he had signed up for.
He is thought to have had little say in the selection of the Test squad for the South African trip, and he was unaware of the decision not to renew Nielsen’s contract. Gillespie and the board have had little communication since the end of Pakistan’s white-ball series in Australia, where he served as caretaker coach after Kirsten resigned.
The PCB initially asked Gillespie to fill that post until the Champions Trophy but did not provide a pay offer to reflect the expanded scope of his role. Another aspect that contributed to the poor relationship between the board and the Australian coach.
The PCB has not yet decided on a replacement for Gillespie. However, the present PCB administration has now changed its approach and wants to replace overseas coaches appointed earlier this year with Pakistani-based ones. Aaqib, who took over the white-ball teams on an interim basis last month, now serves as the all-format coach and a member of the selection panel.
Gillespie’s resignation could save the PCB from having to pay out the entire duration of his contract, something they would have had to do if they had elected to fire him. It was thought to be a factor in Gillespie’s initial reluctance to go, even after it became evident that the PCB no longer wanted him there.
Pakistan has to play a two-match test series in South Africa in December-January—the first Test in Centurion on December 26 and the second in Cape Town on January 3.
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