Wisden overview
Jason Gillespie announced himself when he terrified England at Headingley in 1997 in a spell Ian Healy said was the fastest he had kept to in Test cricket. The madness in his eyes that day will live on in many a nightmare. As happens to lots of fast bowlers, Gillespie has suffered terribly from stress injuries, and broke his leg in a sickening outfield collision with Steve Waugh at Kandy in 1999-2000. He also missed the laster stages of the 2003 World Cup with a back injury, but returned for the West Indian tour that followed. He has modified his action, but not his attitude; even with an old ball, he can be alarmingly quick. While in third grade in Adelaide, Gillespie bet a team-mate that he would be playing Test cricket within two years - and won. His fanaticism is evident even in his batting. Greg Baum

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