Friday 7 February 2020 10:52, UK
Sussex head coach Jason Gillespie will temporarily join the England Lions coaching staff during their upcoming tour of Australia.
The former Australia fast-bowler will spend 12 days with the red-ball squad starting from February 8.
Both Gillespie and his Somerset counterpart Jason Kerr will join Lions head coach Richard's Dawson's staff, as they prepare the team for three matches.
"I'm excited by the opportunity to work with Richard Dawson, his support staff and all the players," Gillespie said.
"It's a great chance to listen and learn from different people and I hope that I can add some value to the team from my own cricket experiences.
"Richard is a great friend of mine as someone I played and coached with at Yorkshire and played against for Australia, so I know what an excellent person and leader he is. It's going to be great fun and a really rewarding experience."
The Lions' first match is against Cricket Australia XI in Hobart, starting on 15 February. They then take on Australia A in a pink-ball day-night match at the MCG before finishing the tour against a New South Wales XI.
Spinner Dom Bess and batsman Zak Crawley, who both featured in England's recent tour of South Africa, are included in the squad.
With England's senior team set to return to Australia for the Ashes at the end of 2021, it is hoped the Lions tour can provide vital experience for prospective members of the Test side.
"This will be a great opportunity for our young pace bowlers to learn from one of the best in the business," ECB performance director Mo Bobat said.
"Jason was not only a quality bowler but is also an excellent coach with vast experience who will no doubt leave a lasting impression on the squad.
"Learning how to impact games with the ball in Australian conditions is a great challenge and having Jason on hand to help our players with this is of huge value. It will no doubt stand them in good stead for future Ashes success.
"I'm encouraging the whole squad and management team to make the most of Jason's time with us, to tap into his experience and local knowledge to improve themselves as players and coaches over the coming weeks."
