Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie’s future has been clouded in uncertainty as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has chosen not to renew the contract of assistant coach Tim Nielsen. Reports have suggested that even Gillespie has considered quitting his position as head coach of the Men in Greenside.
Gillespie was appointed Pakistan’s Test coach on a two-year contract in April of this year. In his first Test series, Pakistan lost at home to Bangladesh. The Men in Green then lost the opening Test against England but recovered to win their first home Test since 2021.
The former bowler served as interim white-ball coach during the Australia trip, guiding the team to a historic ODI series win, their first in Australia since 2002. However, the Mohammad Rizwan-led team was thrashed 0-3 in the Twenty20 Internationals. Aqib Javed was named head coach for the white ball team.
Tim Nielsen’s contract was not renewed by Pakistan Cricket Board
Tim Nielsen was named Pakistan’s high-performance red-ball coach in August, and his contract expired following the Australia trip.
Nielsen stated that he was “making good progress” with the team before the forthcoming Test series against South Africa and the West Indies, however, the PCB notified him that his contract would not be renewed.
According to ESPNCricinfo, PCB did not notify Jason Gillespie in advance of the departure of his assistant coach for the South Africa tour. Gillespie is unimpressed with this decision. This demonstrates a trend in which Gillespie’s authority and function have significantly reduced in recent months.
Jason Gillespie exploring his options
“It is understood that PCB did not inform Gillespie ahead of time he would no longer have his assistant coach by his side in South Africa, a decision that has left him extremely unimpressed. That he wasn’t consulted beforehand appears to be the most significant catalyst for his irritation, and fits in with a wider pattern of Gillespie’s roles and authority being steadily eroded over the last few months,” ESPNCricinfo reported.
Not only this, but Gillespie was removed from the selection panel in October after PCB opted to appoint five new faces as selectors including Aleem Dar and Aaqib Javed. Gillespie was left with the tag of “matchday strategist.” Gillespie’s frustration is partly due to the strong relationship assistant coach Tim Nielsen had built with the players.
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