The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has announced that the contract of Tim Nielsen has not been renewed, and he has been sacked from his position ahead of the Test series against South Africa kicks off on December 26. Nielsen had joined the side in August in the capacity of a high-performance red-ball coach with the short-term contract now coming to an end after Pakistan’s recent tour of Australia headed by Test head coach Jason Gillespie.
Though Nielsen was incredibly hopeful for an extension and had a good deal of faith in the progress made under his stewardship, it seems PCB holds a different view in that it has conveyed to him that his services are no longer required. This has apparently left Gillespie, who was not sent a note for consultation on this matter, rethinking his own position with the team. Gillespie faced limited communication with the board and was removed from the Test selection panel in October; he sadly stated how disappointed he was about this.
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Nielsen had a very good rapport with the players, which Gillespie would see as an asset for the team. Both coaches suspect that Nielsen’s non-residence has somehow played a part in the PCB decision. Therefore, he had some plans for future tours of South Africa and the West Indies, which, however, have been denied by PCB.
The replacement for Nielsen has yet to be formally announced, but all indications seem toward a local coaching staff, as observed in other recent decisions, such as the resignation of Gary Kirsten in October. Kirsten cited similar problems regarding his time spent outside Pakistan.