Jason Neil Gillespie (born April 19, 1975 in Sydney) is an Australian cricketer (right arm fast bowler). He made his Test debut against the West Indies in Sydney in 1996 and his one-day international debut against Sri Lanka at Colombo in the Singer World Series in 1996. In 2002, he was named by Wisden as one of the Cricketers of the Year. Gillespie is nicknamed Dizzy after the jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.

In terms of pace, he is ranked in-between Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath. Consistent injuries forced Gillespie to operate from a shorter run-up and therefore reduce his pace. In Australia's 1999 tour of Sri Lanka, he was involved in a sickening outfield collision when both he and Steve Waugh were running to take a catch, resulting in Waugh's nose and Gillespie's right leg being broken (the catch was not taken). Regardless of these problems, he is still both accurate and economical.

Gillespie seldom dominates a series (the most wickets he has taken in a series is 20), but he has had considerable success against Sachin Tendulkar.

He has occassionally proven his worth with the bat, with a Test high of 54* and a one-day international high of 33*. He averages 16.5 in Tests and 12 in one-day internationals with a satisfactory strike rate of 74.83. In the field, he has shown occasional agility and is a good 'boundary rider'. With the ball, he has taken 240 Test wickets at an average of under 25.

Over the last few years he has sported a mullet.

External links

• Cricinfo Player Profile : Jason Neil Gillespie