LAHORE: Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie is expected to be appointed head coach of the Hyderabad franchise, the newest team in the Pakistan Super League, for the upcoming 11th edition of the tournament, scheduled to begin on March 26.
The development, which gained traction on social media, was later confirmed by sources on Tuesday. Gillespie, who previously served as Pakistan’s red-ball head coach, is set to assume the coaching role for the Hyderabad side, Geo Super reported.
The 50-year-old was appointed Pakistan’s Test team head coach in April 2024, working alongside Gary Kirsten, who oversaw the white-ball squads. However, Gillespie stepped down from the role in December 2024 ahead of Pakistan’s two-match Test series in South Africa, amid reports of differences with the Pakistan Cricket Board and issues related to team management.
The 11th edition of the PSL will be historic, with the league expanding from six to eight teams. Hyderabad and Sialkot have been added as the new franchises.
Hyderabad is owned by Fawad Sarwar, who secured the franchise by placing the highest bid of Rs1.75 billion ($6.24 million) during the auction.
Meanwhile, the PCB has confirmed that the PSL 11 player auction will be held on February 11. The auction workshop was chaired by PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi and PSL chief executive Salman Naseer, with representatives of all eight franchises in attendance.
Key matters discussed during the session included base prices, team budgets, squad size limits, player retention and direct signings.
