Aaqib Javed is a Clown, says former Pakistan Test coach Jason Gillespie

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Pakistan cricket is in turmoil following its humiliating group-stage exit from the home Champions Trophy, and former Test coach Jason Gillespie has gone no holds barred, lashing out at his successor Aaqib Javed with a brutal takedown.

After Pakistan's dismal losses to India and New Zealand, followed by a washed-out fixture against Bangladesh, Aaqib blamed relentless instability within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the team's downfall.

"We changed 16 coaches in the last 2.5 years and 26 selectors. If you do this to any team around the world, their performance will be like this too," Aaqib lamented.

"You want to take Pakistan cricket forward, then you need to have consistency and continuity in policies in our cricket, starting from the PCB chairman to the players," he added.

But Gillespie wasn't having any of it. The Aussie great, who resigned as Pakistan's Test coach in December, launched a scathing attack on social media, calling Aaqib's remarks nothing short of laughable.

"This is hilarious. Aaqib was clearly undermining Gary (Kirsten) and I behind the scenes, campaigning to be the coach in all formats. He is a clown," Gillespie wrote.

His explosive comments come after a turbulent period for Pakistan cricket, with legendary South African Gary Kirsten also stepping down as white-ball coach, citing similar frustrations.

Gillespie and Kirsten both made positive changes within the Pakistan setup and also started to get positive results. But, the internal issues and probably lack of communication led to the departure of both coaches. Although Aaqib Javed took the reigns and promised results, he has so far failed to deliver.

Pakistan have also undergone a number of changes in their upcoming tour to New Zealand. Haris Rauf, Shaheen Afridi are among the players who have been left out from ODI squad, while Babar Azam is picked for the ODI squad. Salman Agha is also named captain for the T20Is, which includes the two aforementioned pacers.