Latest news with #JasonGillespie
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Australia Day: People are getting facts wrong, says Jason Gillespie
Former Australia fast bowler Jason Gillespie has said people who oppose a possible date change to Australia Day are not aware of a key historical fact. Australia Day which is celebrated on January 26 has come under criticism from Indigenous community as it marks the arrival of the first fleet in 1788. In recent times there has been lot of chorus about changing the date and Gillespie who has indigenous roots said that the argument that January 26 is the only appropriate date to celebrate Australia Day is wrong. 'What I find interesting is that when a lot of people defend Australia Day being on January 26 they say 'it has always been January 26', he told News Corp. 'That's factually incorrect. You go over history and that has not been the only day Australia has celebrated Australia Day.' Gillespie's argument is backed by facts. Its only since January 26, 1994 that all states and territories in have incorporated to celebrate Australia Day on the said date. Before 1994, certain states and territories staged celebrations on the Monday closest to the date. Also, the first official Australia Day celebrated in 1915 was on July 30. It was a way to raise much needed funds during World War I. 'It (January 26) is seen as a day of genuine and deep sadness for Indigenous Australians and not seen as a day to celebrate. If it creates such sadness (for many people) on such an important day of the year – and it has been moved before – surely there must be 300 or more days Australia could look at which could be a great day for everyone to celebrate,' Gillespie said. In Australia's rich cricketing history there have been only two cricketers from Indigenous background to play Test cricket. Gillespie was the first and more recently Scott Boland became the second. 'I naively assumed that I couldn't possibly have been the first,' he told ABC Radio Adelaide a few years ago. 'With our rich, multicultural history in our country, with so many people from so many diverse backgrounds, I just assumed there must have been lots of [Indigenous] cricketers and lots of sportspeople.'
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Indigenous cricket legend Jason Gillespie says Aussies keep getting one big fact wrong in the controversy over celebrating Australia Day
Aussie sporting legend Jason Gillespie has claimed people who object to a possible Australia Day date change are unaware of a key historical fact - before calling for increased support when it comes to Indigenous cricket. Fast-bowling great Gillespie, who snared 259 Test wickets in his career, acknowledged January 26 is a contentious day for many Indigenous Australians as it marks the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788. But Gillespie - who has Indigenous roots - believes the long-standing argument that January 26 is the only suitable date for Australia Day is not supported by history. 'What I find interesting is that when a lot of people defend Australia Day being on January 26 they say 'it has always been January 26', he told News Corp. 'That's factually incorrect. You go over history and that has not been the only day Australia has celebrated Australia Day.' Gillespie is right - Australia Day has only officially been incorporated for all states and territories on January 26 since 1994. Prior to 1994, certain states and territories staged celebrations on the Monday closest to the date. It is also important to acknowledge the first 'official' Australia Day, in 1915, was July 30. At the time, it was a way to raise much needed funds during World War one. 'It (January 26) is seen as a day of genuine and deep sadness for Indigenous Australians and not seen as a day to celebrate,' Gillespie continued. 'If it creates such sadness (for many people) on such an important day of the year – and it has been moved before – surely there must be 300 or more days Australia could look at which could be a great day for everyone to celebrate.' Gillespie then delved as to why he and fellow quick Scott Boland are the only two male Indigenous players to play for Australia in Test history. He would also 'love' to see increased funding from Cricket Australia - and urged the governing body to 'do more.' In response, a spokesperson pointed out CA supported Indigenous cricket through events such as the National Indigenous Cricket Championships, a First Nations T20 Cup and the Imparja Cup played in Alice Springs. Meanwhile, cricket fans across the nation won't see any games played on Australia Day in 2026 - marking the second successive year the sport's bosses have backed out of holding matches on January 26. Cricket Australia has grappled with how to treat the national public holiday after controversially banning the term 'Australia Day' four years ago. The likes of captain Pat Cummins and star batsman Steve Smith have previously called for the date to be changed.
Arab News
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Arab News
Pakistan name Azhar Mahmood as latest red-ball head coach
KARACHI: Pakistan on Monday named former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood interim head coach of the Test side, the fourth man to take the post in the last 18 months. The 50-year-old will remain in the position until January, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said. As a pace bowling all-rounder Mahmood played 143 one-day internationals and 21 Tests for Pakistan, and has been serving as assistant coach since last year. 'The PCB announces Mahmood as the acting red-ball head coach of the Pakistan men's team,' said a PCB press release. Mahmood replaces Aaqib Javed, who was interim head coach for the Test series in South Africa in December-January and at home against the West Indies. Javed left after Pakistan lost all four Tests and finished ninth and last in the third cycle of the World Test Championship. Javed took over from former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie, who quit six months into his stint in December 2024 after differences with the PCB. Before Gillespie, former Pakistan all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez was team director and oversaw a 3-0 Test defeat in Australia. Monday's appointment is part of a series of changes the PCB has taken to improve the performances of the national team after a poor two years. Last month, New Zealand's Mike Hesson took over as white-ball head coach for two years. Pakistan will host South Africa in their first series of the latest WTC cycle in October this year and then Sri Lanka in December-January.
ABC News
27-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Fri Fix: Konstas concern, Carlton vandals, Lions launch
Australia still might eek out a win in the Windies, but the top order looks ragged. Jason Gillespie provides analysis from Barbados. In the AFL, Carlton fans have vandalised their own spiritual home. In the NRL, Penrith are inexplicably rising again. The Lions have been in WA for under a week but found reason to complain ahead of the clash with the Force. Sean Maloney reports from Perth. Featured: Jason Gillespie, ex-Test quick. Sean Maloney, rugby commentator, Stan Sport.
New Straits Times
25-06-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Ten highest winning run-chases in Test history
LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM: England completed the tenth highest fourth-innings run chase in Test history with a pursuit of 371 that sealed a five-wicket over India at Headingley on Tuesday. Below AFP Sport looks at the largest targets chased down in 148 years of Test cricket: After both teams made 240 in their first innings, Australia made 417 in their second innings and would have expected an attack featuring fast bowlers Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee to finish the job. But hundreds from Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul changed the game before an unbroken partnership of 46 between Omari Banks and Vasbert Drakes sealed a three-wicket win. Australia appeared to have put the game beyond South Africa's reach but Proteas captain Graeme Smith's hundred and a century from AB de Villiers helped guide the visitors to a dominant six-wicket success. Still one of the most famous Tests of them all, England captain Norman Yardley did not declare his side's second innings until the fifth morning. But Australia still scored 400 runs in under a day's play, with opener Arthur Morris making 182 and Don Bradman, widely regarded as cricket's greatest batsman, an unbeaten 173 that sealed a seven-wicket triumph. Alvin Kallicharran's hundred built an imposing West Indian lead, but centuries from Sunil Gavaskar and Gundappa Viswanath took India to an eventual total of 406-4. The match proved a turning point as his spinners' failure persuaded West Indies captain Clive Lloyd to break with convention by building an attack around four fast bowlers – a policy that helped his side dominate Test cricket for the next 15 years. West Indies batsman Kyle Mayers enjoyed an astounding start to his Test career with an extraordinary 210 not out, putting on 216 with fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner (86) to see the visitors to a three-wicket win. Asela Gunaratne made a match-winning 80 not out, putting on 121 with Niroshan Dickwella (80) in the home team's total of 391-6. Two hundreds from Andrew Strauss put England on top, but Virender Sehwag made a quickfire 83 before batting great Sachin Tendulkar (103 not out) and Yuvraj Singh (85 not out) took India to a four-wicket win. Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow hit hundreds as England romped home by seven wickets in a series finale postponed from 2021 because of coronavirus concerns within the India camp. Pakistan were in dire straits at 13-2 early in their chase but hundreds from Shan Masood and Younis Khan turned the tide before Misbah-ul-Haq's match-winning 59 saw them to 382-3. India made 471 after being sent in to bat by England captain Ben Stokes but the hosts were only six runs adrift on first innings. England then dismissed India for 364 and opener Ben Duckett's superb 149 the cornerstone of a chase completed by Root and Jamie Smith. This was only the third Test with more than 350 runs in all four innings, after Ashes clashes at Adelaide in 1921 and Headingley in 1948.
