LONDON: Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie has confirmed he will stay with the English county champions instead of applying for a position on Australia’s backroom staff.

Gillespie met Australia coach Darren Lehmann this week and it is believed his former international team-mate asked if he was willing to become Australia’s bowling coach.

But former Australia fast bowler Gillespie now claims no job offer was made by Cricket Australia and he has contacted Lehmann to inform him he will not be applying for one if it was.

“He mentioned that there was a role coming up with Australian cricket,” Gillespie told BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra on Tuesday. “I want to make it very clear there was no job offer from Darren — it was merely gauging interest.”

Gillespie was strongly linked with England’s vacant head coach position last year, but the job was eventually given to his compatriot Trevor Bayliss.

The 41-year-old’s reputation grew after he inspired Yorkshire to successive County Championship titles in 2014 and 2015, while they have lost only four of their 70 Championship matches under his leadership.

However, Gillespie has always insisted he is happy with Yorkshire and he confirmed he was concerned about the time away from his family that an international role would entail.

“I said thanks for the chat and I would get back to Darren the next day,” Gillespie said. “I confirmed to him that I am not going to apply for a role with Cricket Australia — so we can end all the speculation right now.

“At this point in time in my life, I am not prepared to be away from my family for that length of time.

“So, it is not on the radar. I am not applying for any international cricket roles.”

Gillespie now appears set to continue dividing his time between Yorkshire and his existing role in charge of Adelaide Strikers in Australia’s Big Bash domestic Twenty20 tournament.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2016