ISLAMABAD — The head coach for Pakistan’s red-ball cricket team, Jason Gillespie, has resigned just weeks ahead of a two-match test series scheduled to take place in South Africa, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Thursday.

In light of Gillespie’s departure, Aaqib Javed, who had previously been named the interim head coach for the white-ball format, will step in as the interim coach for the red-ball team.

This announcement marks the second instance of a foreign coach leaving Pakistan’s cricket setup within a short period, as South African Gary Kirsten also resigned from his role as the white-ball coach at the end of October.

Reports suggest that Gillespie’s dissatisfaction stemmed from the PCB’s decision not to renew the contract of Tim Nielsen, the high-performance coach for red-ball cricket. Gillespie’s tenure began in April under a two-year contract, but he was removed from the selection panel earlier in October.