Pakistan’s head coach Jason Gillespie will remain in charge of the national men’s team for the upcoming two-Test series against South Africa, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed. However, despite his ongoing contract with the PCB until 2026, the board has not provided clarity on his future role beyond this series.
In a brief statement, the PCB confirmed that Gillespie will continue to oversee Pakistan’s red-ball affairs for the South Africa series, which is scheduled to begin on December 26. However, the board refrained from commenting on any further engagements for the Australian coach, leaving uncertainty around his tenure.
This announcement comes amidst growing speculation about Gillespie’s position. Over the past week, several local reports have suggested that his time as Pakistan’s head coach could be coming to an end, with former cricketer Aaqib Javed reportedly lined up as his replacement. ESPNcricinfo also reported that Aaqib was considered a strong candidate to take over as the all-format head coach of the national team.
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The uncertainty surrounding Gillespie’s future role is compounded by the PCB’s recent struggles to fill its coaching vacancies. The position of white-ball coach, left vacant by Gary Kirsten’s resignation last month, remains unfilled. While Gillespie had been considered for the white-ball role until the conclusion of the 2025 Champions Trophy, he reportedly declined the offer, citing a lack of an adequate increase in compensation for the expanded responsibilities.
As a result, the PCB has turned to Aaqib Javed as the frontrunner to take over the white-ball coaching role. Sources suggest that Aaqib could be offered the position on an interim basis until the Champions Trophy, after which the PCB is expected to reevaluate the situation.
Despite the ongoing talks about his future, Gillespie remains focused on his immediate responsibilities. His next engagement will be the third T20I against Australia, where he is currently serving as interim coach for the limited-overs series. Following that, he will lead Pakistan in the two-Test series against South Africa, with the team set to return home for another Test series against West Indies in early 2025.
While Gillespie appears to have retained his role for now, his relationship with the PCB has not been without friction. Since his appointment as Test coach in 2023, there have been reports of tension between him and the board. In particular, Gillespie expressed frustration with a lack of clear communication regarding his role.
After the appointment of Aaqib Javed to the PCB’s revamped selection committee, Gillespie’s influence in player selection was significantly reduced. He was removed from the selection committee and has since admitted that his role had become more focused on matchday strategies, a shift that he did not initially anticipate.