Yorkshire coach Jason Gillespie has insisted that outgoing chairman Colin Graves never interfered in team selections during their time working together, and is unlikely to start doing so when he takes over at the England and Wales Cricket Board in May.
The 67-year-old, who will become the new chairman of the ECB, has hinted that controversial England batsman Kevin Pietersen could be recalled to the international fold if he returns to play county cricket.
Gillespie says that Graves, who steps aside as Yorkshire's chairman this weekend, is not the kind of person who will dictate who should be in the team.
"I can honestly tell you, in my whole time at Yorkshire, not once have Colin and I spoken about selection. Not once," Gillespie told The Guardian.
"For me it is very simple – Colin did not say KP will play for England again, he simply said that to have any chance to play for England he needed to play county cricket. But that is the same for any player."
Gillespie has been Yorkshire coach since 2011.
Steven Toplis
