Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie has been summonsed by Andrew Strauss to discuss the England coaching job.
On his first day as Director of Cricket, Strauss sacked England’s coach Peter Moores after a lack-lustre World Cup and West Indies tour.
On day two, Strauss told Kevin Pietersen to his face he wouldn’t be in the frame for the upcoming Ashes campaign at a time when the swash-buckling batsman was in the process of scoring a career-high 355 not out for Surrey.
Now Gillespie is in Strauss’ cross hairs for all the good reasons.
Gillespie is head coach of Yorkshire, taking the club from division two to first division champions in three seasons and on the way has shown Joe Root and Gary Ballance how to become quality Test batsmen.
But the 40-year-old Gillespie may be hard to prise away from Yorkshire, and especially if he’s one of the many former Test players from around the world who reckon Strauss’ decision over Pietersen was an Ashes disaster.
Gillespie’s thoughts on Pietersen have been kept under wraps for obvious reasons, but they may yet surface in the meeting with Strauss.
And may yet decide Gillespie’s immediate future.
Another Australian, Justin Langer, knocked back Staruss’ overtures last week, citing family reasons.
Besides Langer (44) is well-entrenched in his home state Western Australia, where he’s been so successful in four-dayers and limited overs,
A third Australian Tom Moody (49) is in the mix. He was a successful coach of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2007 when he opted to stay more at home and coach Western Australia for three years.
Others in the running – Michael Vaughan (40), Gary Kirsten (47), Andy Flower (47), and England’s current assistant coach Paul Farbrace (47) who will take over for the two-Test series against the Black Caps, plus five ODIs, and one T20.
Overnight, Farbrace gave Gillespie a ringing endorsement.
“He’s a brilliant guy, a lovely fella, and he really has done a great job at Yorkshire.”
Vaughan isn’t a genuie contender with no coaching experience, although he will be a favourite son forever after captaining England to regain the Ashes in 2005, ending a 19-year drought.
South African Kirsten and Zimbabwean Flower have long coaching CVs, but it’s doubtful Strauss will look in their direction if Gillespie knocks back the offer.
It’s his to refuse.
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