Jason Gillespie (ANI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former Australia all-rounder Jason Gillespie has been named head coach of the new Hyderabad franchise in the Pakistan Super League. The 50-year-old will return to Pakistan cricket in a new role after a turbulent exit from the national setup in December 2024.Gillespie will build the Hyderabad squad from scratch at the PSL auction on February 11. He will then guide the team in the 2026 season, which begins on March 26. Hyderabad are one of two new franchises added for the upcoming season, along with a Sialkot-based team.This marks Gillespie’s first involvement in Pakistan cricket since he resigned as head coach of the Pakistan Test team just days before the South Africa series in December 2024. His sudden exit raised eyebrows at the time and led to several public statements from the former fast bowler.Reacting to his new role, Gillespie shared his excitement on social media. “Beyond excited to be part of the @KingsmenCricket family. So looking forward to being part of the Hyderabad team!” he wrote on X.However, Gillespie’s return comes after he accused the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) of not clearing some of his dues. He said he was still waiting for payment for work done during his time as Pakistan’s red-ball coach. “Yeah, without going into the details, obviously still waiting on some remuneration from work that has been done… Admittedly, that has been a little bit disappointing but look, hopefully that can get sorted sooner rather than later,” Gillespie posted on Instagram.The PCB strongly denied the claims and released a statement in response. “The Pakistan Cricket Board refutes claims made by a former head coach on the non-payment of his dues,” the PCB spokesperson said, adding that Gillespie left without serving a four-month notice period.Earlier, Gillespie had explained why he resigned from his Pakistan role. He said the removal of high-performance coach Tim Nielsen was a major factor. “I was completely and utterly blindsided by a decision to not have a high-performance coach,” Gillespie told ABC Sport, adding that poor communication made his role difficult.