Liam Plunkett credits Jason Gillespie for reviving his career

English fast bowler Liam Plunkett has credited his Yorkshire boss Jason Gillespie for resurrecting his career that has hit a dead end at his previous county Durham stating that the confidence shown in him by the former Australian cricketer was instrumental in helping him seal an international comeback.

Having come up through the ranks at Durham, Plunkett who made his senior debut for the county side in 2003, was an instrumental figure in their first ever County Championship success in the 2008 season and followed it up with an equally impressive season as Durham retained the title.

A drastic drop in form, however, saw the wickets and runs dry up as he not only disappeared from the international scene for England after making an impressive start but was also dropped from the Durham side, playing only three matches during the 2011 and 2012 County Championship. A move to Yorkshire ahead of the 2013 season, though, changed Plunkett's fortunes around for the better.

Though a change of scene was necessary after falling out of favour of Durham, Plunkett revealed that it was Gillespie’s presence of Yorkshire that prompted him to zoom in on his next destination.

"One of the reasons I moved to Yorkshire is that he (Gillespie) was a bowler himself and went through his ups and downs," he said. "One of the first net sessions I had with him was in the winter and I hit the side netting. I thought that was the end of my career at Yorkshire right then but he said don't worry about it, it is November and he pretty much said he just wanted me to run up and bowl fast."

"At that time, he was what I needed. I was a bit raw, and struggling with my action," Plunkett added. "I thought it was all about technical. But it wasn't - it was just about backing myself.”

Plunkett, who has now established himself as a regular in England’s limited-overs sides, is one of the quickest bowlers in the country despite getting into his 30s and he believes it wouldn’t have been possible without the backing provided by Gillespie.

"When I went there, that was what he picked up straightaway. He does other stuff with different people, but he knew what I wanted. He just said to me 'bowl fast', and he backed me. With that came confidence and performance,” he said. "Whenever you have a bad spell he is always there patting you on the back and saying no worries mate you can change the game next spell. I take my hat off to him, I owe him quite a bit.”

Following confirmation that Gillespie would be stepping down at the end of the season, Plunkett expressed hope that he and his teammates could give Gillespie the perfect farewell by winning a third-consecutive County Championship title.

"I'm obviously gutted - because he was good for me and good for the team. It's a tough decision that he's made. But I want to thank him - he's been great for me. He's brought me back to playing for England. So I wish him the best, and look forward to catching up when I get back to Yorkshire," Plunkett said. "I hope we can make it three this year in the Championship," Plunkett said. "That would be a nice note to leave on. I'm sure there will be quite a few people trying to get that job."