Jason Gillespie had taken over as Pakistan’s white-ball coach for the series in Australia. (AP Photo)
Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed is tipped to replace incumbent coach Jason Gillespie in all formats soon after the T20I series in Australia, which they have already lost 2-0. According to ESPN Cricinfo, the move came after the Australian refused to fully take over the responsibility of white-ball teams but without a pay rise. When he conveyed the message, the PCB decided to strip him off red ball duties too.
His six-month tenure was eventful. Pakistan surrendered a series at home for the first time against Bangladesh, but they beat England to win their first Test series at home in three-and-a-half years. They won the ODI series in Australia in 22 years, but lost the T20 series and is facing a whitewash. Gillespie was the stand-in white ball coach after Gary Kirsten’s resignation.
Javed comes with solid credentials. He has had a role in the development of most contemporary fast bowlers from the country. He has led Lahore Qalandars to consecutive PSL titles and he was supposedly the mastermind, as one of the selectors, behind Pakistan embracing turners to design a comeback-from-behind series victory.
Whether he is a long-term or stopgap arrangement, he has serious issues to sort out, not least the form of batting talisman Babar Azam across formats. The seamers too have struggled to crack the consistency code. He has barely any time to fix the cracks, tours to South Africa and Zimbabwe are followed by the Champions Trophy.
Some of the former players had advised him to refuse the coaching role, if it were offered to him. “Don’t become the head coach. This is the best advice I can give you,” former cricketer Basit Ali had said in his YouTube show.
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