By IANS
Melbourne : Cricket Australia (CA) has decided to use retiring Adam Gilchrist as a mentor for junior players.
The CA is apparently in no mood to let go the champion wicket-keeper, who retired from Test cricket Monday and will also bid adieu to one-day cricket after the end of the triangular series next month featuring India and Sri Lanka.
“An Adam Gilchrist only comes along once in a lifetime, and we would be mad not to explore ways to keep him with us in some capacity,” CA’s public affairs manager, Peter Young said.
“There is a fervent desire on our part to hold talks with him about a formal role within Australian cricket and we will be ready to talk whenever he is ready.”
However, Young had not confirmed what role Gilchrist would be offered by the CA, but it is learnt that, in all probability, he would be working with junior cricketers.
“Obviously, the thinking is to give him a bit of time off to relax. In a conceptual way, we have discussed these kind of things for more than a year at a very high level, but they have very much been broad brushstrokes, with nothing really specific discussed or tabled,” Young said.
“It would be most desirable on our part if we could work together in some capacity. We will see what happens.”
The CA has already offered legendary spinner Shane Warne a part-time coaching position and are also in talks with former pacer Glenn McGrath to fill in a similar role.
Despite retiring from international cricket, Gilchrist is likely to play in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)-backed Indian Premier League (IPL) starting in April.