Ex-Pakistan Coach Slams Aaqib Javed, Says Players Are 'Playing With Fear'

By Suresh

*Ta da ta da…* even the rhythm of Pakistani cricket has gone off-beat. Let me set the scene for you, friends. Former Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie has publicly unloaded on chairman of selectors Aaqib Javed, saying the national side is "playing with fear" and that Javed needs to "look at himself in the mirror." Gillespie, who led Pakistan for eight months in 2024 (including a 2-0 Test whitewash of England), watched this week's dramatic shake-up with a heavy heart. The PCB replaced head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed and bowling chief Umar Gul, and sent seven players home mid-series after consecutive Test thrashings. "From the outside it looks like they are playing with fear," Gillespie told *The Australian*. "Salman Ali Agha goes from captaining the team in the first Test to being out of the squad and on the plane home before the third. How does that work?" He placed the blame squarely on Javed, claiming there's no coherent selection strategy. "They change their mind like they change their pants daily," he said — noting that Javed, in office for two years, recently blamed former whiteball coach Gary Kirsten and himself for the mess. "Make sense out of that. Javed needs to look at himself in the mirror." Gillespie also condemned the way dismissals were handled — players reportedly heard they'd been sacked via family and media, not the selectors. "How disrespectful is that?" The third and final Test begins at Edgbaston on Sep 9. In the meantime, Mike Hesson and Ashley Noffke have stepped up to steer the whiteball setup. Elsewhere in the commentary box: Mickey Arthur called it "an absolutely ridiculous situation," while legends Shahid Afridi and Shoaib Malik remain equally bewildered. A quiet thought from this old sitar-player: a team that loses its tempo plays with fear. Perhaps Pakistan must find its *raga* again before the final movement begins. Source: NDTV Sports