Natwest T20 Blast: Yorkshire Vikings coach Jason Gillespie upset by corruption claims
Friday 16 May 2014 15:43, UK
Yorkshire head coach Jason Gillespie admits he was “absolutely gutted” to read revelations of corruption in cricket in the press.
The former Australian seamer is currently helping the Vikings prepare for their opening T20 Blast match against reigning champions Northamptonshire Steelbacks but claims the issue must be resolved quickly.
New Zealand Cricket confirmed on Wednesday the International Cricket Council anti-corruption unit were set to probe matches played by Auckland Aces.
Gillespie believes such wrong-doing taints the sport's reputation and believes players must be educated to avoid such circumstances recurring.
“First of all, it’s just terribly disappointing to read the reports, I’m absolutely gutted because it’s a black mark on our game, there’s no doubt about that,” he told Sky Sports.
“I’d like to think we won’t see any more of that behaviour in county cricket. I think Mick Newell (England selector) spoke about education and I think he’s right; we need to educate our players.
“I didn’t see anything when I played, it’s a terrible thing to read in the press and I hope it can be solved as soon as possible.”
Excited
Away from the talk of match-fixing, Gillespie is eager to get Yorkshire’s T20 Blast campaign underway on Friday, although he did reveal concerns over their quick turnaround to play a four-day County Championship match on Sunday.
I’d like to think we won’t see any more of that behaviour in county cricket. I think Mick Newell spoke about education and I think he’s right; we need to educate our players.
“I certainly get excited, probably even more so now I don’t have to bowl any cricket ball so it doesn’t hurt,” he admitted.
“It’s great to help the lads prepare to get out there and play some positive cricket.
“It is going to be a challenge with the games every Friday and Championship games starting by-and-large on a Sunday.
“It is going to be a challenge for players with that scheduling but it will just come down to looking after the players the best we can, getting the balance between training and rest.”
Yorkshire will have England trio Joe Root, Gary Ballance and Tim Bresnan available for Friday’s curtain-raiser and Gillespie claims their presence alone has lifted the dressing room.
International boost
“I think every side loves to have their England players available, we don’t have them a lot over the course of the county season,” he said.
Live T20 Blast Cricket
“Anytime they’re with us it’s great for the lads, it’s a great morale boost for the players and for the fans of our county who can come down and watch their international players.
“We’re absolutely chuffed they’re with us and we hope to make the most of that this evening.”
Gillespie, who spent a brief time as bowling coach with IPL franchise Kings XI Punjab, believes plenty can be gleaned from watching the various Twenty20 competitions on offer around the world.
“You certainly watch the great T20 competitions around the world and the great T20 player and the things they do well,” he added.
“I think the important thing in T20 is getting the basics of your game absolutely right, the game can turn on its head, the boundaries aren’t huge in cricket these days, the bats are getting bigger and what we focus on in training is just getting the basic right.”
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