ADELAIDE: Pakistan’s red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie on Friday, expressed his lack of interest in assuming the white-ball coaching on a full-time basis.
Gillespie, while speaking to the Australian media here on Friday, emphasized that his stint as Pakistan’s interim white-ball coach is a temporary affair, stating that he did not apply for the full-time role.
“I’ve only taken over white-ball format coaching on an interim basis. I am not keen on coaching permanently in the white ball format at the moment,” said Gillespie.
“I did not apply for the full-time white-ball coaching.
"I love coaching, but I don’t believe I can spend 11 months away from home. I also don’t think I could mentally handle it,” he stated, highlighting his need to spend ample time with his family.
For the unversed, Gillespie was appointed Pakistan’s interim white-ball coach in the wake of Gary Kirsten’s resignation from the role, just days before the team’s departure to Australia.
Despite his disinterest, Gillespie’s stint as Pakistan’s interim white-ball coach has been all but successful as the green shirts, after narrowly losing the first ODI of the ongoing three-match series against Australia, hit back with a nine-wicket victory in the must-win second match.
The visitors booked Australia on a meagre 163 with Haris Rauf leading the bowling charge with a five-wicket haul. Shaheen Shah Afridi also made notable contributions, returning brilliant figures of 3/26 in eight overs.
In response, the green shirts knocked the winning runs for the loss of just one wicket and 141 balls to spare and clinched series-levelling victory.
Saim Ayub spearheaded Pakistan’s run chase with a brisk 82 off 71 balls, while his opening partner Abdullah Shafique scored an unbeaten 64 off 69 deliveries.
Sohail Imran Sohail Imran is a senior reporter for Geo News.