Using a nightwatchman is a bad idea: Gillespie
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|| Desk Report ||
Former Australian pace bowler Jason Gillespie thinks it's a bad idea to use a nightwatchman to bat upfront although he himself scored 201 runs against Bangladesh in a Test in 2006.
Gillespie came on to bat against Bangladesh at number three position in that Test. A tail-ender who usually batted at the number 10th position in the batting order, Gillespie came to bat at No.3 when Phil Jaques got out at the last session of the day.
Australia sent out Gillespie as a nightwatchman to play out the remaining overs.
In doing so, Gillespie played the best innings of his life, scored 201 runs from 425 balls and remained not out. After playing this unforgettable innings as a nightwatchman, Gillespie stills doesn't support the idea of sending bowlers ahead of the batsmen.
"It might surprise you given that I scored an unbeaten double-hundred as a nightwatchman for Australia against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2006, but I don't necessarily agree with the concept of using one," Gillespie said to Daily Mail.
"As a general rule I think the batsmen should do their job. You don't throw the new ball to your No 3 batter late on the second evening, do you? If the conditions are tricky for batting you actually want your best players out there," he added.
