Aqib Javed confirmed as Pak interim coach

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) today announced the appointment of Aqib Javed, a former international fast bowler, as the interim head coach of the Pakistan men's cricket team until the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

During this tenure, Aqib will continue to serve as a senior member of the men's National Selection Committee, and will be assigned additional responsibilities following the conclusion of the eight-team tournament.

Meanwhile, the PCB will initiate the recruitment process for a permanent white-ball head coach, aiming to complete the appointment by the end of the ICC Champions Trophy scheduled from 19 February to 9 March.

The white-ball coaching role had become vacant following the resignation of Gary Kirsten. Red-ball head coach Jason Gillespie had coached the side during the recent tour of Australia, who will now rejoin the side for the upcoming two-Test series in South Africa.

The Pakistan men's side is scheduled to play three ODIs and three T20Is in Zimbabwe (24 November – 5 December) and as many white-ball matches in South Africa (10-22 December). In the lead up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan will host New Zealand and South Africa for an ODI triangular series from 8-14 February.

Earlier, The PCB confirmed that Jason Gillespie will continue to coach the Pakistan red ball team.

In a statement issued by the PCB, the board dismissed news reports from a cricket website suggesting the removal of Gillespie and the appointment of Aqib Javed as head coach for all formats.

The PCB clarified that Jason Gillespie will remain as the red ball coach for the upcoming two-match Test series against South Africa.

Gary Kirsten resigned as head coach before Pakistan's tour of Australia, after which Jason Gillespie was appointed as the interim red ball coach for the Australia tour.

The PCB also clarified the news reported by the cricket website, emphasizing that Jason Gillespie will continue as the red ball coach. However, the board has not made any statement regarding the position of the white ball coach.

Pakistan's team will play a series against South Africa from December 10 to January 7, which will include 3 T20s, 3 ODIs, and 2 Test matches.

It is understood Aaqib was not the PCB's first choice, with the board initially sounding out Gillespie to take over as all-format coach until the end of the Champions Trophy next March. However, he was asked to take on the additional white-ball responsibility 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, prompting the PCB to decide they did not wish to have him in charge of the red-ball side, and beginning the search for an all-format coach.

A PCB official, though, attributes the decision to replace Gillespie down to him not spending enough time in Pakistan. It is something the PCB had privately used to explain the resignation of Gary Kirsten, the most recent white-ball coach before until he quit last month. ESPNcricinfo understands Gillespie's view is that he has spent every day his contract demanded he be in Pakistan within the country, in addition to which he also did the Shaheens tour of Darwin without pay as a gesture of goodwill.

How much time Gillespie needs to spend in Pakistan is a moot point at the moment. They have no cricket at home for the next two months in any format and go directly from Australia to Zimbabwe, after which they play an all-format series in South Africa. Their next home engagement is a two-Test series against the West Indies at the end of January, and their only white-ball games before the Champions Trophy come in a short tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in February.