On Tuesday, an awkward moment took place when ex-Australia pacer Jason Gillespie made his debut for Pakistan Super League team Hyderabad Kingsmen ahead of the 2026 season starting on Thursday. Gillespie, who was named head coach of the franchise last year in January, unexpectedly landed in the limelight after a video showing his conversation with the team’s media crew was widely circulated on the internet. In the footage, members of the franchise are seen standing around a hotel lobby when the camera goes upstairs to Gillespie. When he was asked to come down and make a “welcome video”, the former fast bowler declined the offer strongly and called the idea “stupid.” In a very polite manner, he refused, as he mentioned that he had his work to focus on and after a quick look, he left the situation.
Gillespie’s signing is his second coaching role in Pakistan after a short stint as the national team’s red-ball coach in 2024. His previous role ended unexpectedly after a disagreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board, which caused him to resign right before a Test series in South Africa.
Although the incident happened, Gillespie had, on the other hand, shown a lot of enthusiasm about his new role by saying that he was really looking forward to being part of the Hyderabad Kingsmen setup and that he was quite eager to start the journey.
Jason Gillespie has joined Hyderabad Kingsmen and refused to shoot an arrival video. 😂pic.twitter.com/ItaldkT22d
— Sheri. (@CallMeSheri1_) March 24, 2026
PSL Scenario and Schedule
The 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) will be held this year, but the whole scenario will be quite different from the previous seasons due to the ongoing West Asia crisis. Matches will be played behind closed doors, and only two venues, Lahore and Karachi, will be used instead of the initially planned six cities. Also, the opening ceremony in Lahore has been called off.
🚨 The coaching panel of Hyderabad franchise for PSL 2026:
Head Coach – Jason Gillespie.
Assistant Coach – Craig White.
Batting Coach – Grant Bradburn.
Team Data Analyst – Freddie Wilde.Kingsman has sealed the deal. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/kTaykMzjFj
— Ahmad Haseeb (@iamAhmadhaseeb) January 29, 2026
On the contrary, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi stated that, depending on how the situation in the region develops, the fans might be allowed back into the stadiums during the later stages of the tournament. The first match of the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL) is scheduled between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen on March 26 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The match begins at 7:00 PM local time (2:00 PM GMT). Due to a fuel crisis, the match will be played behind closed doors without fans.
Also Read: Lalit Modi Had IPL Blueprint Ready in 1997–98, Reveals Former Delhi Capitals Coach Ahead of IPL 2026
