Jason Gillespie breaks silence on 'soured' experience as Pakistan head coach

Opening up about his tumultuous tenure as Pakistan head coach, Jason Gillespie said that the experience had "soured" his love for coaching which led him to rethink about accepting full-time roles in future.

The former Australian fast bowler, who briefly coached Pakistan’s Test and white-ball sides in 2024, admitted that his experience with the team had "soured" his love for coaching and left him questioning whether he wants to pursue full-time roles in the future.

Speaking candidly on a recent episode of the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, Gillespie shared his disillusionment, revealing that his time in Pakistan was a turning point in his coaching career.

“Right now, I’m not sure I’m interested in coaching full-time,” Gillespie said.

“Even if Australia comes calling—no, I’m not interested,” he added.

His appointment as Pakistan's red-ball coach in April 2024 ended abruptly in December of the same year after a series of internal disagreements and communication breakdowns with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

He briefly served as interim white-ball coach following Gary Kirsten’s departure but stepped down shortly after leading Pakistan to a historic ODI series win in Australia.

The former fast bowler did not hold back when discussing his time with the team, particularly his relationship with Aqib Javed, who succeeded him as interim head coach.

The 49-year-old accused Javed of undermining his authority and criticised the internal politics that marred his tenure.

“He was a clown,” he said bluntly, referring to Javed. “The internal politics and lack of cohesion made the job untenable.”

Reflecting on his time with Pakistan, Gillespie confessed that it had left a lasting impact on his view of coaching.

“The Pakistan experience has soured my love for coaching, I’ll be honest,” he added. “It really disappointed me how that all ended. It’s made me question whether I want to coach full-time again.”

While Gillespie has stepped away from full-time coaching, he has not ruled out future involvement in the game.

He expressed interest in taking on shorter roles within franchise leagues or consultancy positions, preferring the flexibility that these opportunities offer after nearly 15 years of full-time coaching.

“I’m open to coaching in the leagues and doing some short-term work or consultancy. But the grind of full-time coaching—it’s just not on my agenda right now,” he concluded.