Jason Gillespie has confirmed he will not become England’s next coach, with fellow Australian Trevor Bayliss expected to be handed the top job.
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The former Australian Test star said that new England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) cricket director Andrew Strauss had called him to let him know there was a “preferred candidate”, which is believed to be Bayliss.
“I’ve spoken to Andrew Strauss and I’m not that preferred candidate,” Gillespie told Sky Sports.
“”I think it would have been a good job to have – no question.”
“There’s exciting times ahead for English cricket and it would have been a great challenge but it’s not to be.”
Gillespie has thrown his full support behind Bayliss, saying he would have made the same decision had he have been in Andrew Strauss’ position.
“England wanted a coach with a proven track record, and if it is Trevor, as it appears likely, his track record’s absolutely unbelievable,” Gillespie is quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
“I’ve got absolutely no qualms about that. If I put myself in Andrew’s shoes, I’d probably make the same decision if I’m honest.
“He is a very good operator and I’ve only heard good things about him. Farby [England’s interim head coach Paul Farbrace] speaks very highly of him from the time he worked with him in Sri Lanka so I can’t say anything negative. I wish him well.”
Bayliss has enjoyed great success in his roles in Australia with New South Wales and the Sydney Sixers, as well as in the Indian Premier League with the Kolkata Knight Riders.
He is also proven at international level having taken Sri Lanka to the final of the 2011 World Cup.
Although admitting he would have taken the England job had he been offered it, Gillespie says he saw it as a “win-win” situation.
“I have always seen it as a win-win from my end,” he said.
“I have got two great jobs – here with Yorkshire and with Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash. If I had have got offered an international job I would have had to have seriously considered it, that’s for sure. Either way, I don’t see any negatives.
“My thoughts were: ‘what is the worst that can happen?’ Go and sit for an interview, which is another experience for me. I can only be better for that, I saw I had nothing to lose.”
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