![Umar Gul responds to Jason Gillespie [Source: AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1788938506842_UmarGulJasonGillespiePakistan.jpg?type=hq)
Umar Gul responds to Jason Gillespie [Source: AFP]
Former Pakistan pacer Umar Gul fired back at Jason Gillespie on social media after the latter mocked his comments about the team's poor performance in defeat to England at Leeds, Headingley.
Pakistan lost by an innings and 103 runs in the first Test against England as the batting unit failed to cross the 200-run mark throughout the game. The bowlers also let them down, as the pacers lacked control and consistency.
Jason Gillespie ridiculed Umar Gul for 'weather' comment
Interestingly, after the defeat at Headingley, then Pakistan bowling coach Umar Gul defended the fast bowlers, saying the cold English weather impacted their performance.
He argued that before the England tour, Pakistan played in the West Indies and it was a hot summer. Hence, the sudden change in weather impacted the fast bowlers massively.
This comment went viral on social media, and ex-Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie reacted to it on the ‘Fast Bowling Cartel’ podcast. He mocked Gul, saying that blaming the weather was ridiculous, especially for a professional international bowling attack.
"Give me a spell Umar. Not surprised you're not bowling coach anymore champ. How ridiculous is that," Gillespie said.
His remarks went viral after Umar Gul was sacked mid-series and, reportedly, his ‘cold weather’ comment had a role to play in it.
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Umar Gul defends his comment on Pakistan’s bowling performance
After the video of Gillespie went viral, Umar Gul issued a clarification, arguing his comments were misinterpreted. In the comment section, he said he wasn't blaming the weather for the defeat.
Gul added that if people listened to his full interview, they would understand that he was simply explaining a technical issue. Pakistan bowlers were stiff due to cold weather and failed to execute plans.
"I wasn’t making excuses for the weather. If you heard the full interview, I clearly mentioned that the conditions were cold and I felt our bowlers looked a bit stiff, which affected their ability to execute their bowling plans properly," Gul said.
Importantly, Gul had expected the bowlers to adapt to the English conditions before the Lord's Test. He believed that once they acclimatised, their performance would improve.
Umar Gul also argued that Pakistan's bowlers actually did perform better in the conditions at Lord's, despite Pakistan suffering another heavy defeat.
"I’m sure they’ll acclimatise to the conditions before the Lord’s Test and perform much better. And if you watched the match closely, our bowlers actually did a good job in the conditions," he added.
Umar Gul shown the exit door by PCB
Whatever panned out in Leeds and Lord’s turned out to be catastrophic for Umar Gul, as he was sacked as bowling coach before the final Test at Edgbaston. His tenure lasted only 5 months, as he was appointed in April 2026.
The PCB also recalled head coach Sarfaraz Ahmed back to Pakistan and ordered Mike Hesson and team to take over the coaching duties.
Apart from the coaches, as many as 7 players were replaced in the squad overnight, including three seniors- Mohammad Rizwan, Imam-ul-Haq and Salman Agha.
Notably, Pakistan have already lost the series as they trail by 0-2 ahead of the third Test at Edgbaston.
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