The Surfer

Gillespie happy to help old enemy

In in his role as Yorkshire's head coach, Jason Gillespie is responsible for helping to develop some of the brightest talent in English cricket

Jason Gillespie is one of Australia's leading Test wicket-takers and a member of the side that dominated during the late 1990s and early 2000s. In in his role as Yorkshire's head coach, however, he is responsible for helping to develop some of the brightest talent in English cricket. Speaking to Lawrence Booth in the Daily Mail he says there is no conflict of interest, likening Jonny Bairstow to Adam Gilchrist and saying Gary Ballance should be "locked in" to England's Test team for the summer.
"We want to win matches and trophies at Yorkshire. But it's also important to develop players to fulfil their potential. That means doing well for Yorkshire and playing for your country. If we can be part of that process, then I think we're doing our job for English cricket.
"I must admit, I was a bit conflicted over the winter. I'd copped a bit of stick from the boys last summer over the Ashes, then I gave it back. But at the end of the day, I'm in the English game now. I wanted nothing more than for our Yorkshire guys - Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Tim Bresnan, Gary Ballance - to be successful in Australia. That's not to say I don't enjoy seeing Australia do well: it's my country."