Former Australian cricketer Jason Gillespie has been officially appointed head coach of the Hyderabad franchise ahead of the landmark 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League, scheduled to begin on March 26.

The appointment was announced through the Kingsmen Cricket social media platform, declaring a new chapter for the franchise with the message: “Vision clear. Direction locked. Entering a New Era. Jason Gillespie takes charge as Head Coach of Hyderabad.”

Hyderabad is one of the two new teams joining the expanded Pakistan Super League this season.

The 50-year-old Gillespie was previously part of Pakistan’s national coaching setup. He was appointed in April 2024 as head coach of Pakistan’s Test team, working alongside Gary Kirsten, who oversaw the white-ball squads.

Vision clear. Direction locked. Entering a #NewEra ⚡️

𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗲 takes charge as Head Coach of Hyderabad in #HBLPSL 🙌

Welcome to the family, Coach 🤝 pic.twitter.com/aLqSLF94gT
— Kingsmen Cricket (@KingsmenCricket) January 28, 2026

However, Gillespie resigned in December 2024 ahead of Pakistan’s two-match Test series in South Africa, amid reports of strained relations with the Pakistan Cricket Board and difficulties aligning with team management.

PSL expands to eight teams

PSL 11 marks a major milestone as the league expands from six to eight teams. Alongside Hyderabad, Sialkot has also joined as a new franchise.

Hyderabad is owned by businessman Fawad Sarwar, who secured the franchise by winning the auction with a bid of Rs1.75 billion (approximately $6.25 million).

Also Read: Players’ base prices announced for PSL 11 auction

Player auction dates

The PCB has confirmed that the PSL 11 Player Auction will take place on February 11. An auction workshop was chaired by PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi and PSL Chief Executive Salman Naseer, with representatives from all eight franchises in attendance.

The workshop was also attended by PSL officials, members of Pakistan’s T20 World Cup squad, and other capped players.

Discussions covered crucial topics, including base prices, team budgets, squad size limits, player retention rules, and direct player signings ahead of the upcoming season.