Pakistan Test head coach Jason Gillespie’s future is uncertain after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) opted not to extend the contract of assistant coach Tim Nielsen. Jason Gillespie is considering stepping down from the role, and this comes ahead of the two-match Test series against South Africa.
Pakistan is currently engaging in a three-match T20I series against South Africa. The team will then play a three-match ODI series. They will conclude the tour with a two-match Test series, which is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. They are unlikely to make it to the WTC 2025 final.
Jason Gillespie Appointed as Pakistan Test Head Coach in April 2024
Gillespie was appointed Pakistan’s Test coach on a two-year contract in April this year. However, Pakistan lost a home Test series against Bangladesh in his first series. The Men in Green then lost the opening Test match against England but rebounded to secure their first home Test win since 2021.
The former bowler served as interim white-ball coach for the Australia tour and guided the team to a historic ODI series victory, their first in Australia since 2002. However, the Mohammad Rizwan-led team suffered a 0-3 whitewash in the T20Is. Aqib Javed was appointed as the white-ball head coach.
PCB Not to Renew Tim Nielsen’s Contract Ahead of South Africa Test Tour
Tim Nielsen was appointed as Pakistan’s high-performance red-ball coach in August, and his contract expired after the Australia tour.
Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Nielsen said that he was “making good progress” with the team ahead of the upcoming Test series against South Africa and West Indies, but the PCB informed him that his services would not be renewed.
According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the PCB did not inform Jason Gillespie in advance about the removal of his assistant coach for the South Africa tour. Gillespie has been left unimpressed with this decision. This shows a pattern of Gillespie’s authority and role being gradually diminished in recent months.
“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.
Jason Gillespie Removed from Selection Panel in October
In October, Jason Gillespie was removed from the selection panel for Pakistan’s Test side, leaving him with the role of “matchday strategist.” Gillespie’s frustration is partly due to the strong relationship assistant coach Tim Nielsen had built with the players.
While the PCB has not yet decided on Nielsen’s replacement, they have shown a preference for hiring Pakistan-based coaches to replace overseas appointments made earlier in the year.
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