Nasser Hussain believes former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie is the right man to revive England's flagging fortunes following the sacking of Peter Moores as the national cricket coach.
Moores, also England coach from 2007 to 2009, was axed for the second time on Saturday, shortly after the England and Wales Cricket Board announced Andrew Strauss had been appointed to the newly-created role of director of cricket.
Paul Farbrace, currently England's assistant coach, will be in charge for the two-Test series against New Zealand that starts at Lord's on May 21. But that still leaves open the possibility that Gillespie, currently the coach of English county champions Yorkshire, could be in permanent command of his old foes when they face Australia in the first Ashes Test in Cardiff on July 8. Under the 40-year-old Gillespie, Yorkshire have produced England regulars in batsmen Joe Root and Gary Ballance, with several others waiting in the wings.
Hussain, like Strauss an ex-England captain who played against Gillespie during the paceman's 71-Test career that yielded 259 wickets, told Sky Sports:
“I really like Jason Gillespie, I have to say.”
"What Yorkshire have done as a club, their academy structure, it's absolutely phenomenal.''
"You just have to look at the England set-up to see how many good Yorkshire players are coming through, and I think Jason takes a lot of credit for that -- and the way he's handled himself."
Gillespie was hired at Headingley four years ago by incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves, who then held a similar role with Yorkshire. He recently signed on as coach of the Adelaide Strikers for the upcoming KFC T20 Big Bash season.
"Any opportunity that comes up you obviously look at," Gillespie told the Adelaide Advertiser. "It is flattering but I still have a job to do."
Another Australian touted for the job, Alcohol. Think Again Western Warriors and Perth Scorchers coach Justin Langer, shrugged off speculation he was one of the main contenders for head coach. “It’s all rumours.
I have not had any contact or discussions with anyone from England cricket,” Langer told Perth Now. The former Test batsman was a mentor to incoming England director of cricket Andrew Strauss early in his professional career when the two played county cricket at Middlesex.
Langer, who will be out of contract with the WACA at the end of the 2015-16 summer, said he remained committed to his position as coach of Western Australia.
Source - Cricket Australia