It's just not Cricket: Sox want Gilchrist

The Boston Red Sox have approached the Australian national cricket team with an offer for vice-captain and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist. The hard hitting Gilchrist was spotted after a video of his performances were sent to the Red Sox last year.

Jon Deeble, the Red Sox first base coach and Pacific Rim scout was the man who spoke with Gilchrist, saying, "He times the ball as good as anyone I've ever seen, and he is such a great athlete that I wouldn't underestimate his ability [to make it in baseball]." in an e-mail to his manager Steve Atkinson.

"They [the Red Sox] have expressed an interest in exploring the possibility of trying Adam out in the future for baseball, but because he's never played all this is going to depend upon them personally having a look at him," Atkinson said.

"His No.1 priority at the moment is cricket and the Ashes, but we just see it as a great compliment to him to have a scout from the World Series champions saying they want to have a look at him. Maybe one day after cricket, who knows? If he's 35 or 36 and someone offers him a trial, then he'd consider it."

With the important Ashes series between the world's top two test playing nations in England being just months away, there is no chance Gilchrist would consider a move away from cricket just yet. With another Ashes tour in the winter of 2006/2007, it is unlikely he'd quit before then so the Sox may have to wait for the seventh best batsman in the world to join them.