Jason Gillespie has said he felt frustrated due to the absence of clear communication from the Pakistan Cricket Board on the playing eleven on matchdays, adding his role as the red-ball coach had shrunk to just fielding practice. The former Australian fast bowler began his role in April on a two-year contract and went on to guide Pakistan to a 2-1 series win at home against England in October.
However, Gillespie quit the position last week before the impending Test series of Pakistan in South Africa. In the meantime, Aqib Javed has been made interim Test coach as he also takes over white-ball duties after the unceremonious exit of Gary Kirsten in October.
I felt I was basically hitting catches, and that was about it on the morning of a game.” In an interview over ABC Grandstand, Gillespie highlighted the need to convey everything properly with all concern people and especially the selectors so that the head coach will have pretty good knowledge regarding the match well before its beginning.
Gillespie highlighted that uncertain communication with the PCB, in addition to letting go of high-performance coach Tim Nielsen and diminished influence within the selection committee, was what ultimately cost him the job. “I went into the job with my eyes wide open. I knew that Pakistan had cycled through several coaches in a short period, but I explained how I could contribute positively,” he said.
He wanted to create an environment where players were relaxed but switched on, free to play. “In the red-ball format, I felt we were on track, culminating in that series win against England,” he added.
Gillespie reflected on his exit: “The straw that broke the camel’s back was the communication about the high-performance coach. I was pretty blindsided by the decision to let Tim Nielsen go, and there was no discussion beforehand. There’d been a couple of incidents over the last few months, and it became pretty clear that I wasn’t sure if they actually wanted me in this role.”
Gillespie also revealed his close bond with the Test captain, Shan Masood, while stating that feedback on the effectiveness of Nielsen was overwhelmingly positive: “I developed a close rapport with Shan and felt we were moving in the right direction. The players valued Tim highly, affectionately calling him ‘grandpa,’ enjoyed good banter with him.”
Concluding his remarks, Gillespie emphasized the worth of every player’s contribution: “Whether you’ve played one Test or a hundred, if you can add value to the team, you should feel safe doing so. We were making significant progress in that regard.”
