'They Still Owe Me Thousands of Dollars': Jason Gillespie Makes Explosive PCB Claims

Former Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie has launched a fresh attack on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), saying he was still waiting for thousands of dollars almost two years after his departure. The former Australia pacer has also alleged that former international Aaqib Javed had challenged his authority while in Pakistan's coaching setup. Gillespie made the comments at a difficult time for Pakistan cricket, with the team struggling on the field and the PCB under scrutiny over its administration. He said that his experiences with the PCB damaged him; he started questioning whether he wanted to coach again. Gillespie told The Telegraph he was not willing to "remain silent just to keep my job." Gillespie said: "The PCB still owes me thousands of dollars, but I was never going to be a yes man. I wasn't going to compromise on my principles. I never have throughout my career, and I certainly wasn't going to change." Gillespie said he came to Pakistan with an agenda to assist in re-establishing fast bowling in the country. He was told that if the teams get pitches with good pace and bounce, it would help the bowlers. But he says their relationship began to sour after he was promoted to a selector. Gillespie says he was gradually relegated to a lesser role by Javed, who gave him few powers. "I was totally disrespected and undermined, and I direct that towards Aaqib Javed. The whole experience just deflated me and put me off coaching. It affected me mentally, doubting myself and left me thinking whether I still wanted to be involved in the sport." Gillespie says that Aaqib's arrival transformed him, entirely, as a cricketer in Pakistan. "Aaqib came in and took over. It appeared to me that he was in charge of absolutely everything." He said he went from having controlled the Test side, players, staff and having a say in selection, to having "absolutely no role in anything". Gillespie further wondered why Aaqib remains so esteemed despite Pakistan's poor performance in all formats. "Aaqib is still chairman of selectors. He's kept his job. He's had a crack at Gary Kirsten and me, blaming us for where Pakistan cricket is where it is. Gary and I haven't even been there for two years." Gillespie went as far as to deny claims that Pakistan have advanced during Aaqib's tenure. "Well, no, Aaqib, I'm sorry they haven't. You've actually gone down in the rankings in all three formats since you took over." The remarks pile more pressure on Pakistan cricket following a disappointing Test series defeat to England. Gillespie's comments have once again put the PCB's leadership and decision-making in the spotlight as the board conducts an internal enquiry into the team's misfortunes. This article first appeared on CricketGully and was syndicated with permission.