Gillespie gets Australia A call

Forgotten man Jason Gillespie has received a call-up to Australia A for their tour of Pakistan, replacing the injured Shane Harwood.

Gillespie disappeared from the frame for a place in the Australian side after the 2005 Ashes loss, playing only two Tests against Bangladesh since the series in England. However, at the age of 32, Gillespie has been given a second chance to impress after Harwood pulled out of the tour with a shoulder injury.

Harwood himself was a late call-up for the tour, which starts with a One Day gamevs. Pakistan A on 5th September, when Ben Hilfenhaus took his place in the Australian Twenty20 World Cup side. However, after hurting his shoulder on Tuesday during a Victoria training session, a place has opened up for Gillespie.

Gillespie has been plying his trade for Yorkshire, the leaders in England’s County Championship, this northern summer, taking 23 First Class wickets at 34.91.

The veteran of 71 Tests remains upbeat about his chances of a Test recall if he impresses on the tour, telling The Advertiser “with a lot of cricket coming up there will be scope to rotate bowlers in different conditions purely to get through.

“There’s so many Test matches in 2008. It’s pretty fair to say the same bowling line-up won’t be there in all games.”