Gillespie confident of comeback

Jason Gillespie, Australia's forgotten man in the aftermath of the Ashes, is confident it is only a matter of time before he returns to the national team.

Gillespie was dropped after the third Test at Old Trafford, having taking three wickets through the series at 100 runs each and wasn't picked by Australia for the Super Series but he remains adamant his form in England was only a temporary aberration.

Gillespie told The Sydney Morning Herald, "Obviously I was disappointed not to be a part of the Australian team against the World XI. That goes without saying. But I'd like to think I'm very much in the frame. I'll be back there - it's just a matter of time."

And he has even, he says, found a silver lining to his axing. "There's been a bright side to being dropped - spending time with my beautiful, pregnant wife and my daughter, catching up with family and friends, being back with the Redbacks. It's never an easy road back, but the way I look at it, I'm one of the best bowlers in the country. I've got more than 200 Test wickets, and you don't get that by being a bad bowler. In my last one-dayer I got 3-44."

Gillespie, the fifth highest wicket-taker for Australia with 251 Test wickets, also argued that his ineffective performances were not a result of poor form. "I don't think I lost form that dramatically. Yes, I was not at my best. Yes, I got only three wickets for a fair few runs, but I wasn't bowling absolute rubbish.

"In the first Test I didn't get a big run. In the second I was OK but a bit below par. Then I had a bad game at Old Trafford and I was out. I didn't think my world had caved in. People said it was the end of me. I had a laugh about that. It was as if I'd lost all my skills or was the worst bowler in the world. People can have dips in form. For me, it was a mixture of bad bowling, good shots and arse. You've got to react and adapt, and I didn't do that well enough."

Since the Ashes, Gillespie has received help from Jeff Hammond, his first bowling coach, as well as Richie Benaud. "Jeff spoke at length with Richie Benaud, about what he'd noticed about me, and Richie was kind enough to help. Since then we've worked hard in the nets on tightening up. I'm getting nice and tall at the crease, getting through the crease - simple things, like getting a bit of intent and aggression back at the crease.

"In England, I wasn't hitting the crease as hard. I was doing all the work at the crease. It wasn't anything I noticed I was doing, it just happened. After our break, I was just trying to get my rhythm back."

And the rhythm, according to Darren Lehmann, his club captain at South Australia, is coming back. "He's starting to get it back, that swing and pace. He's lots more energetic at the crease. He was a little down in the dumps at first, but once he got over that initial shock, he's been great with the younger lads. He looks refreshed, and I think he'll get some big wickets for us and hopefully get back in the Australian side. If he doesn't get wickets early for us, it could be a tough road for him. But if he does get wickets and snaps back into gear quickly, he can get back."

Gillespie is now looking forward to performing well domestically to get back into national reckoning. "I'm looking forward to this season. The ball is coming out well. I've got a lot of confidence and I'm with a good group of players at SA. There's no point getting down. Let's put things in perspective here: I'm a cricketer, I had a dip in form, and I find myself not where I want to be, but I'm looking at it as positively as I can. Things are going to be all right. As for national selection, that's out of my hands. What's in my hands is how I play for South Australia."