Ex-Australian seamer Jason Gillespie has come forward and disclosed that his brief and eventful stint as Pakistan’s head coach in 2024 left an indelible mark on his interest in coaching.

On the Wisden Cricket Weekly podcast, Gillespie confessed that the experience was so infuriating and demotivating that it caused him to question if he should ever seek any full-time coaching positions again.

“Right now, I’m not sure I’m interested in coaching full-time,” Gillespie confessed. “Even if Australia comes calling—no, I’m not interested.”

Appointed as Pakistan's red-ball coach in April 2024, Gillespie’s tenure ended abruptly in December of the same year following internal disagreements and communication breakdowns with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

While he temporarily acted as interim white-ball coach and even guided the team to a record ODI series victory in Australia, the internal crisis was one he could not sustain.

What stung the most, according to Gillespie, was his strained relationship with Aqib Javed, who later replaced him as interim head coach. Not holding back, the 49-year-old labelled Javed “a clown” and blamed internal politics for undermining his role and poisoning the working environment.

“The internal politics and lack of cohesion made the job untenable,” Gillespie remarked. “The Pakistan experience has truly soured my love for coaching. It’s made me question whether I want to be involved at that level again.”

Although he’s stepping away from full-time coaching, Gillespie hasn’t completely turned his back on the sport. He expressed a willingness to work in short-term consultancy roles or franchise leagues, where the pressure and politics are comparatively less intense.

“I’m open to coaching in leagues or taking up consultancy roles, but full-time coaching is just not on my agenda right now,” he added.