Former Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie has dismissed Sunil Gavaskar’s words that an Indian B team could compete with and possibly defeat the current Pakistan team. Gavaskar made this remark after India’s win over Pakistan in their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Group A match, raising concerns that the rivalry is becoming one-sided every time when they play against each other.

Gavaskar said, "I believe an India B team could definitely challenge Pakistan. I’m not too sure about a C team, but a B team would be very tough for Pakistan to beat in their current form."

Gillespie completely shot down the idea, calling it "absolute nonsense". He said Pakistan has enough talent to compete with any team if they get the right support. "I don't buy that talk," he added. "I saw Sunil Gavaskar's comments about an Indian B or C team beating Pakistan's top team, and that's just absurd."

He explained that Pakistan's main problem isn't a lack of talent but constant team changes and a lack of patience from the PCB management. "Pakistan needs to pick the right players and give them time to grow and improve. They have the skill to beat any team, no doubt about it. They just need to support their players and be patient," Jason Gillespie said.

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Jason Gillespie "I saw some comments from Sunil Gavaskar about the Indian B or C team would beat the Pakistan top team, that's nonsense" #CT25 #Cricket pic.twitter.com/qJQn6910st

— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) March 7, 2025

Pakistan’s tournament ended on a disappointing note as they finished last in Group A after losing to India and New Zealand. Their team selection has been heavily criticized, especially for choosing just one frontline spinner and not having strong openers in the Pakistan team. Gillespie, who resigned as Pakistan’s coach before their Test series against South Africa, blamed the management, particularly head coach Aaqib Javed and the selection committee, for the team’s poor performance.

"If the PCB wants better results, they need to put the right people in charge, pick the right players, and have a strong selection panel. They need to support them, be patient, and let them do their jobs". He also criticized the constant changes in coaching, saying it creates instability. "The same applies to coaches. If you hire someone, give them enough time to build something meaningful. Otherwise, the results will stay the same" Gillespie added.

Aaqib Javed has been appointed as the limited-overs head coach of the Pakistan men’s national cricket team. The 52-year-old has been appointed to the white-ball coaching role on an interim basis. He will continue this role till the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. 

Aaqib Javed's responsibilities 

Javed will start his interim coaching journey for the Pakistan team after the end of the Australia tour. It means he will serve as the head coach during Pakistan's tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa. While Pakistan will play six white-ball matches in Zimbabwe, they will also play another six limited-overs matches in South Africa before Jason Gillespie takes charge of the Pakistan Test team to play a two-match Test series against South Africa. 

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Before the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Pakistan will also play a two-match home Test series against West Indies and a short ODI tri-series with New Zealand and South Africa. 

Pakistan will host the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in February 2025. 

While he is ready for the interim coaching role, Javed will also continue his role as a senior member of the Pakistan men’s national selection committee.

Aaqib Javed's international career

In his international career between 1988 and 1998, the right-arm fast-medium bowler picked up 54 wickets in 22 Tests and 182 wickets in 163 ODIs.

At the age of 19 years and 81 days, Javed recorded an ODI hat-trick against India in Sharjah during the Wills Trophy final in October 1991. He still holds the record for the youngest player to record an ODI hat-trick. In that same ODI, Javed ended with the bowling figures of 10-1-37-7. While he was the second bowler in ODI history to claim a seven-wicket haul (after the Caribbean Winston Davis in 1983), he recorded then the best bowling figures in ODI history. 

After finishing playing career

Javed was the head coach of the National Cricket Academy in Lahore. He was also the head coach of the Pakistan U19 cricket team during their successful journey in the ICC U19 Cricket World Cup 2004, where they won their first U19 WC trophy. 

While Javed worked for the development of the Afghanistan national cricket team, he also worked as the bowling coach for the Pakistan men’s national cricket team. He was also the bowling and head coach of the United Arab Emirates men’s team.  

For the Pakistan Super League team Lahore Qalandars, Javed was involved as the director of cricket operations, bowling consultant, and head coach. 

For a short period, Javed also worked this year with the Sri Lankan men’s national cricket team as the fast bowling coach. 

Former Australian star pacer Jason Gillespie is likely to be removed from the head coach of the Pakistan national cricket team, as former Pakistan pacer and 1992 World Cup winner is set to replace Gillespie.

Jason Gillespie was working as the Test head coach and former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten was the white-ball head coach for the Pakistan men’s team.

Jason Gillespie took additional responsibilities after Gary Kirsten's resign

Recently, Kirsten stepped down from the head coach role of Pakistan’s limited-overs sides. In his absence, the Test head coach Gillespie was working with the white-ball teams on an interim basis. 

After Pakistan dramatically won the home Test series against England by 2-1, despite losing the first Test, they started the ongoing Australia tour with a historic ODI series win (2-1) once again after losing the series opener. 

However, Pakistan have lost the three-match T20I series as they are already down to 2-0 before the last game of the series. 

According to the latest ESPNcricinfo report, Gillespie is likely to be released from all the head coach duties for Pakistan. While Australia vs Pakistan's last T20I match has been scheduled for Monday (November 18) at Hobart, Gillespie’s tenure can officially end on Monday.

The reason for Gillespie's step down

According to an ESPNcricinfo report, as Kirsten left the Pakistan team, the Test coach Gilespie was asked to take the additional white-ball roles without changing the present contract. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was expected to see Gillespie as the all-format head coach till the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which Pakistan will host in February 2025.

However, Gillespie refused to accept the additional role under the present contract. As both parties have different views, the PCB is set to release Gillespie, as the board wants an all-format head coach.

Aaqib Javed is set to replace Gillespie

The 52-year-old Aaqib Javed is likely to take the all-format head coach role of the Pakistan men’s cricket team. He played 22 Tests and 163 ODIs, where the right-arm fast-medium bowler took 54 and 182 wickets, respectively. 

Javed was one of the key members of the Pakistan team that won the ODI World Cup 1992. He took 11 wickets in 10 games of that tournament. In the final against England, where Pakistan won by 22 runs, Javed was the best economical bowler for Pakistan with the bowling figures of 10-2-27-2.