The lead-up to the first Ashes Test is causing a lot of public debate regarding the makeup of the Aussie side, with most of the focus on who will fill the third pace spot. There are a number of likely contenders.

Shaun Tait is bowling with fire and aggression and at his best is terrifying; however, he can be loose and expensive when not quite on song.

Stuart Clark, who had a stellar tour of South Africa earlier this year and is in pretty good touch, must also be close to the top of the list.

Queensland’s Mitchell Johnson is also in the mix and, as a leftie, would add a bit of variety to the star-studded attack. All three have been included in the squad, but the consensus is that Johnson will get the nod.

One name that was apparently not even considered is Jason Gillespie. Exactly why Dizzy was discounted so rapidly, however, is something of a mystery. His last Test outing, in Bangladesh in April this year, saw him wrap up both the player of the match and series awards. He took eight wickets in the series and also scored a double century and, although it was only against Bangladesh, was bowling something like the Dizzy of old. He may well be the first player in Test history to be dropped after scoring a double ton.

Dizzy’s resurrection (around Easter - a good time of year for it!) was the highlight of an ill-advised and poorly thought out trip to Bangladesh. Complete with serious haircut – he keeps the mullet in a plastic bag in his bedroom (honestly!) – and serious approach, he made the most of his opportunity and made a pretty solid case for a return shot at the Ashes. Dizzy apparently took his dumping from the side fairly badly and has worked incredibly hard to give himself the best possible chance of regaining his position. His bowling is back to somewhere near his former self, succeeding on dead decks where his quick colleagues did not.

Sadly, however, Jason’s body failed him again, giving the selectors the excuse they needed to swing the axe. In reality, that he came back at all from his nightmare Ashes tour speaks volumes for his persistence and desire to succeed. Bob Willis once quipped that Jason was a 30-year-old trapped in a 36-year-old’s body. Now, two years on, he’s probably not any better, but he’s probably not any worse, either. Regardless, there will be no coming back this time.

In his heyday, Dizzy was a fierce bowler, at times unpayable, and has always been a solid lower-order batsman. His batting is probably now the strongest part of his game. He may well have been the unluckiest bowler ever to play for Australia, having had the uncanny ability to injure himself in strange and unusual ways. He is the only cricketer ever to break a leg playing Test cricket - that he accidentally caved in his captain Steve Waugh's face in the process only made it more painful. No one can doubt Dizzy’s courage, his old haircut alone told everyone that he is afraid of nothing, but sadly, courage alone is not enough.

He is also recognised as Australia’s first Indigenous Test player, a tag that he carried with honour and dignity, and without the shameless self-promotion and flag-waving seen by the likes of Cathy Freeman.

Sadly, Dizzy will not be remembered as one of the greats although he can be very proud of having played 71 Tests and taken 259 wickets at 26.1. There are a number of reasons why his contribution will be overlooked. Firstly, he has played his entire career in the shadow of Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne and has always been seen as support for them rather than a strike bowler in his own right. Secondly, Dizzy has fallen prey to bowling too well.

 At his peak he was unplayable. Few bowlers can lay claim to beating the bat more often than our Dizzy. Injury saw him miss too many matches and when he finally got his body right in 2002, he was past his prime. If he had lived up to his promise, we would be mentioning him in the same breath as Warne and McGrath. Not that he is dead yet. He still has a few years of first-class cricket in him – but there’s no doubt the cricket doctors have said: “Sorry Jason, there’s nothing we can do” .

So long, big guy, thanks for the memories.