Former Pakistan head coach and Australian speedster Jason Gillespie has hit out at the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), adding to their list of controversies amid the ongoing Test series in England. Gillespie has disclosed that he was never going to be a yes man despite having the opportunity to take home the requisite salary.
“Part of me knew I was probably going to be sacked in a couple of months” – Jason Gillespie
The 51-year-old, who was first roped in for Test, also coached Pakistan in ODI cricket but his tenure lasted only eight months from April to December 2024. The former Australian cricketer stepped down in the wake of too much politics within the PCB and revealed during a recent interview with The Telegraph:
“The PCB still owes me thousands of dollars, but I was never going to be a yes man. I wasn’t going to compromise on my principles. I never have throughout my career and I certainly wasn’t going to change. I could have stayed quiet, agreed to everything and taken home my salary, but that’s not me. Part of me knew I was probably going to be sacked in a couple of months anyway.”
Jason Gillespie slams PCB for Aaqib Javed’s appointment into the system
Gillespie went on to claim that since Aaqib Javed simply started taking over everything since coming into the system, making him feel undermined and doubting his job. He added:
“The appointment of Javed fundamentally altered the landscape. From that moment, my relationship with Pakistan cricket completely changed. Aaqib came in and took over. It appeared to me that he was in charge of absolutely everything. The whole experience just deflated me and put me off coaching. It affected me mentally, making me doubt myself and leaving me thinking whether I still wanted to be involved in the sport. I was totally disrespected and undermined, and I direct that towards Aaqib Javed.”
Consistent captaincy, coaching and administrative changes continue to impact Pakistan men’s on-field performances. With the sub-continent nation 0-2 down in the three-test series against England, the PCB not only sent home seven players from the squad but also triggered a change in the coaching staff. While captain Babar Azam remains, he faces a litmus test to inspire the players to avoid a series whitewash in the third and final Test at Edgbaston, beginning on September 9.
