Just a month after the white ball coach, Gary Kirsten quit, Jason Gillispie, the former cricketer Australia resigned as the Test coach of Pakistan. Two-match Test series are scheduled against South Africa, starting 26 December but the departure of the Australian cricketer will bring difficulty for the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board). Gillespie informed that he did not have any intention to board the PCB and wanted to walk away as things between the board and the coach hit the lowest point.
The Reason Behind Gillespie’s Departure: Conflict with PCB
Gillespie was angry after the board decided against the renewal of the high-performance coach, Tim Neilsen. He also felt offended because he was not consulted before the final decision was taken, which showed PCB’s lack of respect towards him.
Gillespie showed his willingness to continue, completely available for the Test series in South Africa as well as against West Indies, playing as the Home team next month. However, he was later informed that his services will no longer be required. This seems to be the ultimate straw for him. Although Gillespie served the team as a temp white-ball coach, his time was brief due to the constant conflict he had with the board.
Gillespie was forced to back off and got upset that the decision was made without his consultation. This made him resign due to lack of communication which damaged trust.
Aaqib Javed Appointed as Interim Head Coach for South Africa Test Series
The underrated fast medium bowler, Aaqib Javed, mastered reverse and traditional swing and will soon take over as the Test coach for the South African series. Aaqib is the existing interim coach of white-ball sides. Gillespie’s term as Pakistan’s head coach was completed last month and soon Aaqib will take over across different formats.
PCB has clearly not made any decision yet on Neilsen’s potential replacement, the existing administration is seeking to replace all the overseas coaches appointed by the board earlier this year with those based in Pakistan. Aaqib who earlier took over the white-ball teams will become the all-format coach, plus be a part of the selection panel.
Gillespie’s resignation has put Pakistan in a very vulnerable situation, with the PCB under increasing pressure since there is no firm plan to hire any permanent coach be it for white-ball or red-ball teams, especially with the approaching Champions Trophy. The performance of the team might get highly affected by the leadership instability as Pakistan gears up for the crucial Test series as well as the upcoming Champions Trophy.
To get more updates, especially with such a team that is in the state of flux, betting and cricket fans can turn to online cricket betting sites and place their bets on the performance of Pakistan under the new coach and leadership.
