Aaqib Javed takes charge as Pakistan’s interim white-ball head coach

Aaqib Javed has been named interim head coach of Pakistan’s men’s national white-ball teams till the end of the 2025 Champions Trophy, of which Pakistan are the hosts.

Former Pakistan quick and UAE men’s head coach Aaqib will continue to serve as a senior member of the Pakistan men’s selection committee, and “will be assigned additional responsibilities following the conclusion” of the Champions Trophy, the PCB said in a statement on Monday.

The PCB added that it “will initiate the recruitment process for a permanent white-ball head coach” with the aim of completing the appointment by the end of the Champions Trophy, which is set to run from February 19 to March 9.

Speaking at a press meet at Gaddafi Stadium on Monday, Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chairman, said, “We have temporarily asked Aaqib Javed to take over as coach until Champions Trophy. We don’t want to act too hastily in bringing in another coach who isn’t right. So this three-month gap, Aaqib will work [in that position]. He definitely wants to work on other things but we requested him to work for three months as head coach and after that we will see about the other stuff he wants to do.

Aaqib continuing to be on the selection committee puts the PCB’s coaching set-up in the unusual position, where the interim white-ball coach does have a say in selection across formats, while the full-time red-ball coach does not have a say in selection for the Test side

“It is only for [Aaqib to be only] white-ball [coach] and only [in an] interim [capacity]. We will begin the process of looking for a head coach in the next 10-15 days so we can search and find a good head coach.”

Jason Gillespie, meanwhile, will continue to helm the Test side, and will join the touring party for the two-Test series in South Africa, which starts on December 26 after a T20I and ODI series. Last week, Gillespie was sounded out to perform white-ball duties until the Champions Trophy, without a change in his current contract – in effect, to take on two additional formats without being paid more for the increased scope of his role. Gillespie turned that offer down.

Aaqib continuing to be on the selection committee puts the PCB’s coaching set-up in the unusual position, where the interim white-ball coach does have a say in selection across formats, while the full-time red-ball coach does not have a say in selection for the Test side.

The decision to hand Aaqib white-ball coaching duties at such a critical phase of white-ball cricket for Pakistan underscores how speedy the speed of Aaqib’s ascent has been. Until a few weeks ago, he was Lahore Qalandars’ long-term coach and director of cricket operations, where he had a mixed record; he led the side to consecutive PSL titles, but also saw several bottom-place finishes, including earlier this season.

When appointed a member of the selection committee, he was viewed by the PCB’s top brass as the mastermind behind the implementation of spin-friendly pitches against England to turn that series. He quit his role at Qalandars to focus on the PCB, where he was initially viewed as the favourite to be appointed director at the National Cricket Academy. He served a stint as Sri Lanka’s bowling coach earlier this year, but now begins his highest profile challenge.

Pakistan haven’t had a full-time white-ball coach since Gary Kirsten resigned in late October. Gillespie had been given additional responsibilities for the ongoing white-ball tour of Australia.

The tour of Australia, where Pakistan won the ODI series but lost the T20Is, ends today, and Pakistan are next slotted to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Zimbabwe (November 24 to December 5) before travelling to South Africa. In South Africa, they will first play three T20Is (December 10 to 14) and then three ODIs (December 17 to 22) before the two Tests. Pakistan then play a two-Test series at home against West Indies (January 16 to 28) before hosting New Zealand and South Africa in a short ODI tri-series just before the Champions Trophy.