Dumped Gillespie targets 300 Test wickets

The discarded Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie has set his sights on taking 300 Test wickets as a goal for reclaiming his place in the national side. While admitting disappointment at being left out after the Ashes, Gillespie warned his critics not to write him off after one poor tour.

"I'm really disappointed," he said in The Wisden Cricketer. "Some parts of the media thought my career was over, that I'm too old. I'm only 30. Six months to a year ago no one was saying anything and suddenly I'm the worst bowler on the planet."

Australia's fifth-highest Test wicket-taker with 251 victims, Gillespie said he bowled badly in one game and felt the criticism was "harsh". "For the last four or five years I'd been in the team for almost every match," he said. "One bad game and I was on the outer."

Despite being ignored by the Australian selectors since returning from England, Gillespie said he aimed to play first-class cricket for another five years. "My goal is 300 wickets but first I'd like to get another over in Test cricket," he said. "I've never really had goals before, or ones that I'd made public. Getting 300 is realistic. It would take ten to 12 Tests and I think I can get through that."

Gillespie told the magazine he believed there had been an over-reaction in Australia to losing the Ashes. "There was a massive knee-jerk reaction by everyone," he said. "It's almost as if Australia were beaten five-zip. We lost the series 2-1 and at Edgbaston we were three runs away from winning. We didn't play well, changes were made, that's the way it goes."

And he said Australia's ability to produce outstanding young players may have stalled in recent times. "I'm concerned the Academy hasn't evolved like it should have over the past few years," he said. "It was a very important tool in the team's success but for the last couple of years it hasn't been doing its job."