‘There were a number of issues which left me completely humiliated’
Jason Gillespie’s short stint as Pakistan’s Test coach ended amid internal friction rather than on-field failure, with the former Australian pacer now revealing serious governance issues within the PCB.
Gillespie was appointed head coach in April 2024 but resigned just eight months later, following Pakistan’s Test series in South Africa. During a Q&A session on X, the former pacer said several decisions taken by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) made his position untenable, chief among them the sudden dismissal of assistant coach Tim Nielsen without his knowledge.
“I was coaching the Pakistan Test side. The PCB sacked our senior assistant coach with ZERO communication with me about it,” Gillespie wrote. “As head coach, I found this completely unacceptable. There were a number of other issues which left me completely humiliated.”
The comments came after Gillespie was asked about the Pakistan Super League, which he described as “a great competition”. When a fan followed up by questioning why he left Pakistan cricket if he held the PSL in such regard, Gillespie offered a candid explanation of his experience behind the scenes.
Gillespie took charge at a challenging time for Pakistan’s red-ball side. His tenure began with a disappointing 2–0 home series defeat to Bangladesh in September, exposing long-standing issues with batting depth and team cohesion. However, Pakistan showed signs of revival a month later under his guidance, producing a memorable 2–1 home series win against England after losing the opening Test.
Despite the on-field turnaround, tensions between Gillespie and the PCB continued to simmer, particularly over selection authority and staffing decisions. Those unresolved issues eventually led to his early exit, bringing an abrupt end to what had been a brief but eventful stint as Pakistan’s Test coach.
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