Gillespie Explains His Departure as Pakistan Coach Due to Lack of Communication

New Delhi, Dec 16 (NationPress) Jason Gillespie has disclosed that he experienced insufficient communication with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) concerning the playing eleven ahead of match day, stating that his duties as their red-ball coach had been reduced to catching balls.

Gillespie, a former Australian fast bowler, was appointed as Pakistan's red-ball coach in April under a two-year contract and successfully guided the team to a 2-1 series victory against England at home in October. However, he resigned from his position last week prior to Pakistan's Test series in South Africa.

Aqib Javed has since been appointed as the interim Test coach for Pakistan, also assuming white-ball responsibilities after Gary Kirsten's departure from the role in October. "I felt like I was primarily just catching balls, which was essentially my role on game mornings," Gillespie remarked on the ABC Grandstand show during the third Test between India and Australia at the Gabba.

He emphasized the importance of having clear communication with all involved parties, including selectors, to ensure that the head coach is aware of the team's composition well in advance of the game, preferably the previous day.

Additionally, Gillespie noted that the lines of communication between him and the PCB were not well-defined, and the dismissal of high-performance coach Tim Neilsen, along with his diminished role and lack of input in the selection committee, ultimately prompted his decision to step down.

"I entered the role with my eyes wide open, and I want to make that clear. I was aware that Pakistan had gone through several coaches in a relatively short span, but I presented my case and shared how I believed I could contribute," he stated.

"The goal is to foster an environment where players can feel relaxed yet focused, allowing them the freedom to perform. I believed that in the red-ball format, we were making significant progress, which was evident in our series victory over England.

"A lot of positive developments occurred from the start of my tenure to my resignation, and the final straw was, as a head coach, the necessity for clear communication with my employer. I was completely blindsided by the decision to let go of a high-performance coach.

"Tim Nielsen was informed that his services were no longer needed, and I received absolutely no communication regarding that decision. After various other issues in recent months, that was the moment I questioned whether they truly wanted me in this role or not," he explained.

Gillespie also discussed the strong relationship he had developed with captain Shan Masood and mentioned that the feedback regarding Nielsen's performance had been overwhelmingly positive. "I built a very close rapport with the Test captain, Shan Masood, and felt we were definitely on the right path, achieving great things together.

"The feedback I received, as well as what the PCB heard, indicated how effective Tim had been in his position, and the players benefited greatly from his guidance. They affectionately referred to him as 'grandpa,' and there was some excellent camaraderie among the boys."

“Shan and I had numerous discussions about this, emphasizing that whether you participate in one Test match or a hundred, it doesn't matter. If you possess valuable insights to offer the team, you should be able to share them in a supportive environment, and we felt we were making significant strides in that regard,” he concluded.