Lahore, March 6, 2025: Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie has accused Pakistan’s interim head coach Aaqib Javed of undermining both him and former white-ball coach Gary Kirsten during their tenures with the national team.
Gillespie, who stepped down as Pakistan’s red-ball coach three months ago, claimed that Aaqib worked behind the scenes to secure the coaching role for himself.
Kirsten was initially appointed as Pakistan’s white-ball coach but left in October 2024, just six months into his contract. Following Kirsten’s exit, Gillespie was asked to take charge of the white-ball setup, but he too resigned two months later.
During Gillespie and Kirsten’s tenure, Aaqib served as chief selector before taking over as interim head coach after their departures. However, under his leadership, Pakistan struggled in the Champions Trophy, failing to defend their title and suffering a group-stage exit.
Aaqib later blamed the team’s poor performance on frequent management changes within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
Responding to Aaqib’s remarks, Gillespie lashed out on Instagram, stating “Aaqib was clearly undermining Gary and me behind the scenes, campaigning to be the coach in all formats. He is a clown.”
Pakistan’s Champions Trophy campaign ended in disappointment, with defeats against New Zealand and India, while their final match against Bangladesh was abandoned due to rain, sealing their early exit.
In response to the team’s underwhelming performance, the PCB has decided to revamp the white-ball squad ahead of future international tournaments.
