Jason Gillespie has publicly criticized Pakistan's interim head coach, Aaqib Javed, calling him a "clown" and accusing him of undermining his position prior to his resignation as Pakistan’s Test cricket coach last December.
Gillespie, a former Australian fast bowler with 71 Test and 97 one-day international appearances, was appointed as Pakistan's Test coach in April for a two-year tenure. However, his time in the role ended abruptly after just eight months, before a series in South Africa, following an underwhelming start to his coaching career.
His departure came just two months after South African Gary Kirsten stepped down as Pakistan's limited-overs coach, marking a period of high turnover in the coaching staff. Aaqib Javed, who had served as interim coach of the limited-overs teams, took over the Test squad after Gillespie’s resignation.
Aaqib, who also serves as Pakistan’s national selector, acknowledged the lack of stability in Pakistan’s cricket setup this week after the team's failure to reach the knockout stage of the Champions Trophy. Pakistan lost matches to both New Zealand and India in the tournament, leading Aaqib to comment on the consistent changes within the coaching and selection staff.
“We have changed nearly 16 coaches and 26 selectors in the last two years or so,” Aaqib said. “You put that formula on any team in the world, and I think they will also be in the same situation. Until you get consistency from the top down to the bottom, from the chairman down, your team will not progress.”
In response, Gillespie took to social media, posting an Instagram story late Wednesday to describe Aaqib's remarks as “hilarious.” He also accused Aaqib of undermining both himself and Gary Kirsten, campaigning behind the scenes to take over as coach for all formats. “Aaqib was clearly undermining Gary and I behind the scenes campaigning to be the coach in all formats. He is a clown,” Gillespie wrote.
Aaqib, a former Pakistan international cricketer, had been acting as the interim coach of the limited-overs squad following Kirsten's resignation, and continued in the role after Gillespie’s exit. His contract was initially set to end after the Champions Trophy, but with the Pakistan Cricket Board still searching for a permanent replacement, Aaqib is expected to remain in charge for the foreseeable future.
Source: UNB
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
