The Pakistan cricket team faced a tough time in the Champions Trophy, marking their first major ICC tournament in 30 years. They ended up losing all their matches, finishing last in the group after defeats against India and New Zealand.

Expectations were high, especially since they only had one full game in front of their home crowd, which was the opening match against New Zealand that they lost. This raises serious questions about the state of Pakistan's white-ball cricket, as they haven't made a significant impact in any ODI tournament since their 2017 Champions Trophy win.

Former coach Jason Gillespie, who left his position just a month after taking over, shared his thoughts on the disappointing results and criticized his successor, Aaqib Javed.

In a chat with cricket commentator Saj Sadiq, Gillespie remarked, "The results just weren't up to par. Aaqib has to take the heat for this. He wanted full control, and now he has it."

He also pointed out that the national selectors share a lot of the blame for the squad they chose for the tournament. Mohammad Rizwan, captaining Pakistan in an ODI for the first time, struggled to make an impact, and the team's performance across the board felt lackluster.

‘You can interpret it however you like’

I always had a feeling there were things happening behind the scenes that I didn’t know about. So, when Aaqib was named interim coach, it didn’t really catch me off guard," Gillespie said, adding with a hint of mystery, "Honestly, I think Aaqib’s appointment was something we all saw coming. Interpret it however you like."

Gillespie stepped down from his role as Test coach, lasting just one series after taking over from Gary Kirsten, who had a brief stint of less than a year with the men's team. Both sides had expressed their dissatisfaction with how the PCB was managing team matters, and Gillespie stood firm on his views.

"He was clear about wanting to be the chief selector and had a vision for how he wanted the team to operate. He wanted full control, and that’s exactly what he got," the Australian wrapped up.

To make matters worse for the PCB, the finals of this major event won’t even be held in Pakistan. With India qualifying, the trophy match will take place in Dubai, where Pakistan’s fierce rivals will face off against New Zealand after their victories over Australia and South Africa.

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