Gillespie confirmed as Strikers’ coach
The SACA has confirmed that South Australian favourite son Jason Gillespie will coach the Adelaide Strikers BBL team for the next two years.
Gillespie, who has made his coaching reputation at Yorkshire in the English county championship, will immediately turn his mind to recruitment for the next Big Bash season.
However, there’s no word yet on whether Gillespie will be a candidate for coach of the Redbacks Sheffield Shield team.
The SACA parted ways with previous Strikers/Redbacks coach Darren Berry after a tumultuous 2014/15 season.
Gillespie has had some success in T20 with Yorkshire, guiding the team to the Champions League Twenty20 competition.
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Gillespie played 71 Tests for Australia and took 259 wickets.
“I’m a proud and passionate South Australian and to be able to come back and be involved with the Adelaide Strikers is a dream come true,” Gillespie said in a statement from the SACA.
“To be able to come back to Adelaide and see all the wonderful South Australians come out to support the Adelaide Strikers, and see the lads go out there and put on a show for them is really exciting for me.
“I love working with quality people and I love working with fantastic players. The Adelaide Strikers have got some fantastic cricketers and I’m really looking forward to just getting stuck in and helping them achieve their goals, which is winning games of cricket.”
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South Australian officials have also said they’d be delighted if the 39-year-old would also be keen to lead the Redbacks after that coaching job was also vacated by Berry.
“I’d be absolutely thrilled to see that application come in,” SA Cricket Association chief executive Keith Bradshaw told reporters on Wednesday.
“He hasn’t indicated either way.
“I think we need to respect that he does have very significant commitments at the moment with Yorkshire.”
Last year, Gillespie delivered Yorkshire their first county title in 13 years.
SA have enlisted Test great Adam Gilchrist, Cricket Australia’s high performance manager Pat Howard and AFL coaching legend David Parkin to a selection panel for a new coach for the Redbacks, who have finished last in the Sheffield Shield in five of the past six summers and not won the four-day competition since 1995-96.
The SACA says it has signed 11 players so far for BBL05. The Strikers’ recruitment priority will be a second international signing, to join West Indian Kieron Pollard.
Adelaide Strikers BBL05 squad so far: Jono Dean, Travis Head, Brad Hodge, Ben Laughlin, Tim Ludeman, Michael Neser, Kieron Pollard, Gary Putland, Kane Richardson, Alex Ross, Craig Simmons.
– with AAP
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