Jason Gillespie

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox cricketer Jason Neil Gillespie (born 19 April 1975) is an Australian cricket coach and former international cricketer who played all three formats of the game. A right-arm fast bowler, he was also a competent lower-order batsman whose unbeaten 201 in his last Test match is the highest score by a night-watchman in international cricket.

Gillespie made his One Day International debut against Sri Lanka at Colombo in the Singer World Series in August 1996, and his Test debut against the West Indies at Sydney in November 1996. He also played for South Australia, Yorkshire and Glamorgan at first-class level, and was an AIS Australian Cricket Academy scholarship holder in 1995.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Gillespie announced his retirement from first-class cricket in Australia in February 2008. He then played in the unauthorised Indian Cricket League for the Ahmedabad Rockets.<ref name="Cricket Country-2014"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the end of the 2008 English domestic season he retired from all first-class cricket.<ref>Gillespie happy with retirement decision, ESPNcricinfo, Retrieved on 9 November 2008</ref>

Personal life

Jason Gillespie is a descendant on his father's side of the Kamilaroi people of Indigenous Australians, and is the first acknowledged Aboriginal male to become a Test cricketer.<ref name="Cricket Country-2014">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="BBC">Template:Cite web</ref> His mother has Greek heritage and Jason is the eldest of the three children.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He attended Cabra Dominican College in Adelaide, South Australia. Gillespie married Anna (née McEvoy) in 2003. The couple have four children.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gillespie has another daughter from a previous relationship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gillespie is a vegan and has criticised dairy farming and the use of leather balls. While coaching Yorkshire, Gillespie said of the club being sponsored by a dairy: "Yes, they are a sponsor but it doesn't mean I agree with what they do. It's out of my control, just like the fact that cricket balls are made of leather".<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

International career

Bowling

Gillespie took 259 wickets in 71 Tests (at an average of 26.13) making him Australia's sixth-highest wicket-taker and giving him the 14th best bowling average for Australian bowlers who have taken more than a hundred wickets.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gillespie seldom dominated a Test series (the most wickets he took in a series is 20), but he was a reliable support bowler over several years for his more famous teammates Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne. For his performances in 2004, he was named both in the World Test XI and ODI XI by the ICC.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Batting

Glenn McGrath (61) and Gillespie (54*) shared a last-wicket stand of 114 against New Zealand in 2004 at the Gabba<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> to the hilarity and acclaim of their teammates. It was the first time that either of them had made a 50 in either Test or ODI versions of the game.<ref>Template:YouTube, Cricket Australia</ref>

In the second Test against Bangladesh at Chittagong on 19 April 2006, Gillespie (201 not out) set the world record (on his 31st birthday) for the highest individual score by a nightwatchman. This was his maiden first-class century. He also shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 320 runs with Michael Hussey. Gillespie was awarded man-of-the-match honours for his double century in the first innings and he was also named man of the series for his efforts that included eight wickets, at an average of 11.3. Due to injury, it was his final match in international cricket.<ref name="theguardian.com">Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2025, Gillespie is the only nightwatchman to score a double century in a Test match.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Injuries

Jason Gillespie preparing to bowl for South Australia against Western Australia in January 2007

He played only 52 from a possible 92 Tests following his debut to his axing during the 2005 Ashes series.<ref name="The Sydney Morning Herald 2005">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Earle 2007">Template:Cite web</ref> Despite these problems, he was both accurate and economical.

In Australia's 1999 tour of Sri Lanka, he was involved in a sickening outfield collision when both he and Steve Waugh were running to take a catch. Waugh was running from the infield towards the outfield, while Gillespie was running in. Waugh dived for the ball resulting in his nose and Gillespie's right leg being broken. The catch was not taken.<ref name="Sengupta 2012">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="CricTracker 2018">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="RahulKargal 2016">Template:Cite web</ref> Gillespie's career was cut short by a shoulder injury while fielding for South Australia, leading to his retirement.<ref name="theguardian.com"/>

Coaching career

Gillespie became a coach in Zimbabwe in August 2010. He worked primarily with the Mid West Rhinos, but also on "grassroots" activities to improve the performance of young players in Zimbabwe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gillespie was drafted in as the bowling coach of Indian Premier League team Kings XI Punjab after their opening match against Pune Warriors in April 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In November 2011, he was named first-team coach of Yorkshire after a shake up in the club's coaching system.<ref>Jason Gillespie named Yorkshire coach and batsman Phil Jaques returns, BBC, Retrieved 22 May 2012</ref> In his first season with Yorkshire, they were promoted from Division Two of the County Championship; in the second they were runners-up in the first division; and they won the title in 2014 and 2015, when he was one of the candidates to coach England.<ref>ECB set to lose out on head coach target Jason Gillespie, Daily Telegraph, Retrieved 13 April 2015</ref> He returned to Australia after Yorkshire narrowly missed out on a third successive title in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2015, Gillespie was named as the coach of the Adelaide Strikers team in the Big Bash League.

In July 2017, Gillespie was appointed as the interim head coach for the Papua New Guinea national team replacing former New Zealand Test player, Dipak Patel.<ref name="PNG">Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2018, Gillespie took up the position of head coach of Sussex.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In August 2020, Gillespie was appointed the new coach of South Australia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2021, Gillespie was named an Australia Post Legend of Cricket.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Pakistan (2024)

In April 2024, the Pakistan Cricket Board announced Gillespie as the head coach of the Pakistan men's team in the test cricket for a two-year period.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In October 2024, Gillespie was appointed coach of the white ball team on an interim basis following the departure of South Africa's Gary Kirsten.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He subsequently led a white-ball tour to Australia in Kirsten's absence, securing victory in the one-day series but losing the T20 series. Aqib Javed replaced him for the following tour to Zimbabwe. On 12 December 2024, he resigned as head coach of Pakistan's Test side.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>

Career best performances

	Bowling
	Figures	Fixture	V
Test	7/37	England v Australia	Headingley, Leeds	1997<ref name="ESPNcricinfo - 24–28 July 1997 - Australia tour of England and Scotland, 1997 - England v Australia">Template:Cite web</ref>
ODI	5/22	Australia v Pakistan	Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi	2002<ref name="ESPNcricinfo - 30 August 2002 - PSO Tri-Nation Tournament 2002, 2nd Match - Australia v Pakistan">Template:Cite web</ref>
T20I	1/49	England v Australia	Rose Bowl, Southampton	2005<ref name="ESPNcricinfo - 13 June 2005 - Australia tour of England and Scotland, 2005 - England v Australia">Template:Cite web</ref>
FC	8/50	New South Wales v South Australia	SCG, Sydney	2001<ref name="ESPNcricinfo - 26–28 October 2001 - Pura Cup, 2001/02 - NSW v SA">Template:Cite web</ref>
LA	5/13	Glamorgan v Warwickshire	Sophia Gardens, Cardiff	2008<ref name="ESPNcricinfo - 22 August 2008 - Pro40 Division Two, 2008 - Glamorgan v Warwickshire">Template:Cite web</ref>
T20	2/19	Yorkshire v Derbyshire	Headingley, Leeds	2007<ref name="ESPNcricinfo - 6 July 2007 - Twenty20 Cup, North Division, 2007 - Yorkshire v Derbyshire">Template:Cite web</ref>

Recognition

Statue of Gillespie at Adelaide Oval.

A statue of Gillespie, by sculptor Ken Martin was unveiled at the Adelaide Oval in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:Cricinfo