Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has reacted to the former coach and Australian legend Jason Gillespie’s recent rant on the Men in Green following their disastrous campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. Rashid Latif said that Jason Gillespie did not insult Aaqib Javed but slammed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the country’s cricketing system.
Recently, Gillespie took a jab at Pakistan’s cricket system, calling it a joke, and Latif said that he had expected such remarks as soon as the former Test coach returned to Australia. Latif also expressed his wonder that the same forces that led to the exits of Gary Kirsten and Gillespie are now backing Aaqib Javed and even handed him both the roles of selector and head coach.
Jason Gillespie was referring to our system as a joke: Rashid Latif
Rashid Latif was quoted as saying by Cricket Pakistan: “Jason Gillespie was referring to our system as a joke. I had a feeling that he would do this once he went back. The same power that caused the departure of Gary Kirsten and Gillespie has now been given to Aaqib Javed. We have made Aaqib Javed both the selector and the head coach.”
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He questioned the PCB’s decision-making and said that the board lacks balance and must rethink its approach to avoid further disruption. He has stressed that Pakistan cricket is in dire need of structural changes, while highlighting how foreign coaches maintain high standards and do not compromise on their principles, and that eventually leads the teams to success.
Rashid Latif says foreign coaches do not compromise on principles
Latif even recalled how Mickey Arthur’s strict discipline turned Pakistan into the top-ranked T20I team. He also cited his own experience as Afghanistan’s head coach, as he revealed that their players really respect the head coach and always try to learn from them. But in Pakistan, players have become bigger than the game itself, and the results are in front of the whole world.
The former cricketer has further explained, “Foreign coaches do not compromise on principles. When I was the head coach of Afghanistan, the players respected the head coach like a father and tried to learn from him. Today, the results speak for themselves. In our system, players have become bigger than the game.”
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Rashid Latif slams Babar Azam’s father for inappropriate stunt
On the controversy surrounding Babar Azam, Latif bluntly said that if Babar believes he has been defamed, he should take legal action instead of engaging in unnecessary social media drama. He also criticized his father’s public outburst, calling it an inappropriate stunt.
Latif signed off by saying, “If Babar Azam feels someone has made wrong remarks about him, he should send a legal notice. I have done that myself, but the reaction of his father on social media was inappropriate.”
Notably, Jason Gillespie and Gary Kirsten had resigned from their positions after PCB snatched selection power from them. The Men in Green will be next seen in action in the white-ball series in New Zealand after ending their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign without a single win.
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