Jason Gillespie has confirmed he will retire from Australian first-class cricket and head to the rebel ICL.
Former Australia Test star joining rebel ICL casting doubt on Glamorgan deal.
Jason Gillespie has confirmed he will retire from Australian first-class cricket and head to the rebel Indian Cricket League, bringing his deal with Glamorgan into doubt.
Gillespie will quit first-class cricket at the end of South Australia's current Pura Cup match against Queensland at the Adelaide Oval.
The 32-year-old took 259 wickets at 26.14 in 71 Tests for Australia and before the match against Queensland he had taken 201 wickets at 24.99 in 53 Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup matches for South Australia.
Gillespie will now join the unofficial Indian Cricket League, which has not been sanctioned by the ICC or Test-playing nations.
"This will be the last first-class match I play in Australia," said Gillespie.
"Cricket has been very good to me. I've travelled the world, I've met some fantastic people and I've spent my time doing the thing I love the most, which is playing cricket.
"But it has always been important to me to end my career on my own terms while I'm still contributing. I do not want to get tapped on the shoulder and shown the door."
Glamorgan doubt
Gillespie's move does put his three-year deal with Glamorgan in some jeopardy, with the ECB not happy with players playing in unsanctioned competitions.
Yorkshire have already said that Rana Naved-ul-Hasan would have to choose between them and the ICL, but Gillespie says he wants to fulfil both deals.
"I'm not up to speed with all those things. I've got a contract and I certainly fully expect to fulfil that contract with Glamorgan," Gillespie added.
"But I'm very excited (about the ICL) - it certainly is a change.
"But it's something I'm very much looking forward to. It's just an opportunity to do something a little bit different and it's exciting.
"The opportunity came up and I had to weigh things up. I wasn't sure what I was going to do - whether I was going to play on another season with South Australia.
"The body is feeling good so we'll see how we go. Obviously I can't do the things I could do six or seven years ago, but I still feel I'm contributing."
