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| Jason Gillespie | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jason Gillespie |
| Country | Australia |
| Fullname | Jason Neil Gillespie |
| Birth date | 19 April 1975 |
| Birth place | Mildura, Victoria, Australia |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| Batting | Right-handed |
| Bowling | Right-arm fast-medium |
| Role | Bowler |
| Testdebutdate | 25 November |
| Testdebutyear | 1996 |
| Testdebutagainst | West Indies |
| Lasttestdate | 3 January |
| Lasttestyear | 2006 |
| Lasttestagainst | South Africa |
| Odidebutdate | 27 January |
| Odidebutyear | 1996 |
| Odidebutagainst | Sri Lanka |
| Lastodidate | 20 December |
| Lastodiyear | 2004 |
| Lastodiagainst | Sri Lanka |
Jason Gillespie (born 19 April 1975) is a former Australian international cricketer and current coach. A right-arm fast-medium bowler and useful lower-order right-handed batsman, he represented Australia national cricket team in Test and One Day International cricket and later coached teams including South Australia cricket team, South Australia, and Sussex. Gillespie's career spanned domestic cricket for South Australia and Queensland, and international tours with Cricket Australia across England, India, and Pakistan.
Born in Mildura, Victoria, Gillespie is of Indigenous Australian heritage through his father and Italian ancestry through his mother. He moved to Adelaide as a youth and developed at local clubs linked to the SACA pathway. Gillespie represented South Australia under-19s and featured in youth fixtures alongside contemporaries from the 1990s Australian cricket team development squads. Early coaches and mentors included figures associated with Australian Cricket Board structures and state academies that also produced players like Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Mark Waugh, and Adam Gilchrist.
Gillespie made his first-class debut for South Australia before transferring to Queensland where he became a mainstay of the Sheffield Shield. He played county cricket in England for Hampshire and had spells with Lancashire and Sussex later in his career. Gillespie's Shield performances saw him partner domestic fast bowlers including Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and state peers such as Michael Kasprowicz and Dirk Nannes. He claimed five-wicket hauls in Sheffield Shield fixtures and featured in domestic one-day tournaments contested by provinces under the auspices of Cricket Australia and predecessors such as the Commonwealth Bank Series era competitions.
Selected for the Australia national cricket team in the mid-1990s, Gillespie debuted in ODIs against Sri Lanka and in Tests against the West Indies. He toured with Australia to England for The Ashes contests, to India for Test and ODI series, and to South Africa and New Zealand for bilateral tours. Gillespie took key wickets in series against opponents including Pakistan, Zimbabwe, and Sri Lanka. He was part of Australian squads coached by John Buchanan and captained by leaders like Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting, contributing both in pace bowling attacks that included Glenn McGrath and in fielding units alongside Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne. Notable moments included match-winning spells in Test matches and participation in Australian victories in major series organized by bodies such as the International Cricket Council.
Gillespie's bowling relied on accuracy, bounce and seam movement, often exploiting pitches in Australia and on tours to England and South Africa. As a bowler he formed partnerships with seamers like Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee, complementing spin attacks led by Shane Warne in Australian sides. With the bat he produced notable lower-order innings and compiled a memorable double-century in first-class cricket—an innings that stood out among tail-end contributions in matches involving teams such as Kent County Cricket Club and provincial sides. Statistically, his Test career featured over 40 Tests with more than 100 wickets and multiple five-wicket hauls; his ODI record included appearances and wickets across tournaments like the ICC Champions Trophy era competitions. Gillespie's fielding was reliable in the deep and in close catching positions, often supporting captains such as Steve Waugh in tactical field placements.
After retirement from international cricket, Gillespie moved into coaching and player development with appointments at South Australia and later as head coach of South Australia. He took a role at Sussex in English County Championship cricket and worked within pathways connected to Cricket Australia and county setups that also employ coaches like other notable coaches and performance staff. Gillespie also engaged with development programs supporting Indigenous cricketers alongside organizations such as the Australian Sports Commission and Indigenous sport initiatives. His coaching tenure included work with emerging fast bowlers and collaborations with support staff experienced in strength and conditioning, analytics, and high performance structures linked to national programs.
Gillespie has maintained links to his Indigenous heritage and community projects in South Australia and Victoria. He balanced family life with commitments to cricket administration and mentoring, associating with sporting figures across Australian cricket including former teammates and contemporaries such as Matthew Hayden, Simon Katich, and Justin Langer. Off the field he has participated in charity matches, community outreach, and has been recognized within cricket circles for contributions to player welfare and grassroots development.
Category:Australian cricketers Category:Cricket coaches