Jason Gillespie accuses PCB of not clearing dues for head coach stint

Former Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie has levelled serious allegations against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), claiming the board has not paid him his full remuneration for his services. Gillespie, who took over as the red-ball coach in April 2024, resigned just eight months later in December after Pakistan’s underwhelming performance in the home Test series, particularly against Bangladesh.

Gillespie reveals unpaid dues in interview

In an interview with PakPassion, the former Australian pacer opened up about the ongoing financial dispute with the PCB. “Yes, without going into details. I’m still waiting on some remuneration from work that’s being done. So I’ll just navigate through that in due course,” Gillespie said.

He described the situation as disappointing and expressed hope that it would be resolved quickly. “Admittedly, that’s been a little bit disappointing, but hopefully that can get sorted sooner rather than later.”

Resignation followed internal turbulence

Gillespie’s stint as head coach was marred by internal chaos and inconsistent team selections. Under his tenure, Pakistan failed to qualify for the World Test Championship 2025 final and suffered a home series loss to Bangladesh. Key players like Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, and Naseem Shah were either dropped or rested during the Test series against England, raising questions about communication and strategy.

In an earlier interview with ABC Sport, Gillespie detailed the lack of transparency in PCB’s decision-making process. “There were certainly challenges. I went into the job eyes wide open,” Gillespie said. “The straw that broke the camel’s back was the firing of Tim Nielsen without any communication to me.”

The PCB had terminated high-performance coach Tim Nielsen’s contract without consulting Gillespie, leaving him blindsided. “I had absolutely zero communication from anyone about that. I just thought, after a number of other things that had gone on in the previous few months, that was probably the moment where I thought, ‘Well, I’m not really sure if they actually want me to do this job or not.’”

Pakistan cricket continues to decline

Since Gillespie’s resignation, Pakistan cricket has continued to struggle. Aqib Javed served as the interim head coach during the South Africa tour, which ended in a series loss. Despite co-hosting the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan exited the tournament early. The T20I team has undergone significant changes, with Salman Agha replacing Mohammad Rizwan as captain and Babar Azam being dropped.

Their tour of New Zealand was also dismal, with Pakistan suffering an ODI series whitewash and losing four out of five T20I matches. These results have added to the mounting pressure on the PCB, which now faces criticism for both on-field failures and off-field mismanagement.

A cloud over PCB’s credibility

Gillespie’s public remarks have cast a shadow over the PCB’s professional conduct and financial credibility. With international coaches increasingly wary of short-term stints with Pakistan, this controversy may deter future candidates from taking up roles within the system.

As of now, the PCB has not responded publicly to Gillespie’s claims. However, the former coach remains hopeful that the issue will be resolved soon.

“Hopefully, that’ll get sorted as soon as possible,” Gillespie concluded.

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