Australia Cricket Players
Jason Gillespie
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2002
Jason Gillespie is a descendant of the Kamilaroi people of Indigenous Australians, and is the first acknowledged Aboriginal person to become a Test cricketer. Jason married his wife Anna in 2003. The couple have since had a son, Jackson, in February 2006.Gillespie has taken 259 wickets in 71 Tests (an average of 26.08) making him Australia's fifth-highest wicket-taker. In terms of pace, he bowled in the mid 140's-150 km/h mark in his early career up to about 2001. When he made his comebaack in the late 2000, early 2001 season, he bowled more consistently, but at a speed of about mid-130's-low-140's in terms of kilometres per hour. Consistent injuries forced Gillespie to operate from a shorter run-up and therefore reduce his pace. Gillespie seldom dominates a series (the most wickets he has taken in a series is 20), but he has had considerable success against Sachin Tendulkar. However, he unexpectedly struggled badly in the 2005 Ashes series, taking just three wickets at a cost of 300 runs and being dropped after the third Test. Since the Ashes series Gillespie has taken 40 wickets for South Australia this Pura Cup Season (2005/2006). He was the 4th highest wicket taker in the competition, with an average (21.27) far below the other leading wicket takers. His best figures came against Victoria where he took 7-35.
- Full name : Jason Neil Gillespie
- Born : April 19, 1975, Darlinghurst, Sydney, New South Wales
- Batting style : Right-hand bat
- Bowling style : Right-arm fast
- Test debut : Australia v West Indies at Sydney - Nov 29-Dec 3, 1996
- Last Test : Bangladesh v Australia at Chittagong (CDS) - Apr 16-20, 2006
- ODI debut : Sri Lanka v Australia at Colombo (RPS) - Aug 30, 1996
- Last ODI : England v Australia at The Oval - Jul 12, 2005