‘Completely humiliated’: Jason Gillespie breaks silence on explosive Pakistan Cricket Board exit

Former Pakistan Test coach Jason Gillespie has publicly disclosed for the first time that he felt "completely humiliated" by the Pakistan Cricket Board, revealing new details about his abrupt departure that shocked the cricket world last month.

In a candid question-and-answer session on X on Wednesday, the former Australian fast bowler said the PCB's decision to sack senior assistant coach Tim Nielsen without any consultation or communication proved the final straw in his eight-month tenure.

"I was coaching the Pakistan Test side. The PCB sacked our senior assistant coach with ZERO communication with me about it- as Head Coach, I found this situation completely unacceptable," Gillespie wrote in response to a fan question about why he left Pakistan cricket. "There were a number of other issues which left me completely humiliated."

Breakdown in Relations

Gillespie, appointed in April 2024 alongside white-ball coach Gary Kirsten, resigned in mid-December just before Pakistan's Test tour of South Africa. According to ESPNcricinfo, he refused to board his scheduled flight to join the team after learning Nielsen's contract would not be renewed.

The Australian told ABC Sport in December that he was "completely and utterly blindsided" by the Nielsen decision, noting all feedback about the high-performance coach had been positive. Gillespie said he had received no communication from PCB officials about the move despite developing what he believed was an effective working relationship with Test captain Shan Masood.

His frustrations extended beyond staffing decisions. After Pakistan lost their opening Test against England by an innings, Gillespie discovered through a text message that he had been removed from a newly formed selection panel. He later described receiving team sheets just a day before matches during Pakistan's white-ball tour of Australia, where he briefly filled in after Kirsten resigned.

Mixed On-Field Results

Gillespie's tenure began poorly with a 2-0 home series defeat to Bangladesh in September. However, Pakistan showed resilience by rallying from 1-0 down to defeat England 2-1 in October on spin-friendly pitches, a result that stood as the high point of his brief stint.

Broader Instability

Gillespie's departure continues a pattern of coaching turmoil at the PCB. Kirsten quit as white-ball coach in October 2024 after similar disputes over selection authority and staffing choices. The board has cycled through six different head coaches in four years. Most recently, the PCB terminated Azhar Mahmood's contract as Test coach in late December, three months before it was due to expire.

Aqib Javed currently serves as interim coach across all formats.