Jason Gillespie blames Pakistan's interim coach Aaqib Javed of 'campaigning to be the coach in all formats'

The Pakistan cricket team has been under the radar for some time now for their internal conflicts. Gary Kirsten, who served as Pakistan's head coach, stepped down from the position in October last year, only six months into his contract. Jason Gillespie was then handed the task of managing the white-ball team.

However, this did not work out either as he stepped down from the position two months later resutling in chief selector Aaqib Javed taking the interim responsibilities. 

Also read: Gary Kirsten resigns as Pakistan coach; unhappiness with PCB mooted as major reasons: Reports

Fast forward to the Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan was knocked out of the race in the group stages after losing the games to New Zealand and India. Javed has blamed the constant changes in management as the reason for their early exit.

Now, Gillespie has opened up about the situation that Pakistan is in. Calling Javed a "clown," he accused him of plotting to undermine others to take over the head coach position. 

"This is hilarious. Aaqib was clearly undermining Gary and I behind the scenes campaigning to be the coach in all formats. He is a clown," Gillespie shared on Instagram.

India and New Zealand set to face off in Champions Trophy 2025 final

Meanwhile, India and New Zealand, the two top performers of the tournament hosted by Pakistan, will meet each other in the final in Dubai. India did not travel to Pakistan due to political unrest between the two nations. As a result, all of India's matches, including the semi-final and the final, were moved to Dubai. 

Pakistan, on the other hand, was knocked out of the running after they had lost to New Zealand in the group stage matches. After defeating them in the tri-series before the major tournament, the Black Caps convincingly defeated them by 60 runs in their Champions Trophy encounter. Against India, they faced another embarrassing loss by six wickets. 

They were now reliant on Bangladesh to defeat New Zealand to stand a chance to qualify for the semis, but the Kiwis were at the top of their game. They won the game against the Tigers by five wickets, knocking Pakistan out of contention.