LAHORE: Former Pakistan Red Ball head coach Jason Gillespie has broken his silence on his relationship with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
During a pre-match press conference, the 50-year-old, who currently serves as head coach of the Hyderabad Kingsmen, reflected on his departure from the Test coaching role and moved to address speculation about a rift with the team.
“Absolutely no problem. I’ve done my role as the Test coach of the team and these things happen. We’ve all moved on, there’s no drama. There’s no problem with my decision or the PCB’s decision—the relationship is absolutely fine,” Gillespie said.
However, in a subsequent interview on the Wiston Cricket Weekly podcast, the former Australian seamer, who coached Pakistan in 2024, admitted the experience had “hardened” his interest in coaching and questioned whether he would take up another full-time role.
“The Pakistan experience spoiled my love for coaching, I’ll be honest. I’ll take it back, I definitely will, but it’s a blow really,” Gillespie said.
“It’s disappointing to me how it ended,” he added. “I was questioning whether I wanted to coach full-time again.”
Gillespie further shared his disappointment, describing his time in Pakistan as a turning point in his coaching career.
“Right now, I’m not sure I’m interested in coaching full-time,” Gillespie said.
“Even if it comes to Australia—no, I’m not interested,” he added.
His appointment as Pakistan’s red ball coach in April 2024 ended abruptly in December of the same year following a series of internal disagreements and communication breakdowns with the PCB.
At the time, Gillespie criticized the internal dynamics, accusing then-team manager Aqib Javed of undermining his authority and describing the environment as challenging.
“He’s a clown,” he said bluntly, referring to Javed. “Internal politics and disunity made the work untenable.”
Reflecting on the episode, he reiterated the lasting impact it had on his vision.
“The Pakistan experience spoiled my love for coaching, I’ll be honest,” he added. “I was disappointed with how it ended. It made me question whether I wanted to be a full-time coach again.”