'They've made the wrong call...what a mistake they've made'
Former South Australia cricket coach Darren Berry has slammed Test selectors over a perceived bias against short players.
The retired Victoria and South Australia wicketkeeper is furious fast bowler Chadd Sayers was left out of Australia's XI for the day-night Test against South Africa at the Adelaide Oval.
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Selectors chose to go with Jackson Bird over Sayers, despite the South Australian's impressive record on his home deck.
On SEN radio on Thursday morning, Berry could not understand why the 29-year-old had been ignored.
"Chadd Sayers not being picked for the Adelaide Test, with a pink ball — it's going to swing around at night time — they're never going to pick him," Berry said.
"Two weeks ago they played a Shield game at the Adelaide Oval with a pink ball, South Australia vs Tasmania. Chadd Sayers 11 wickets, (Jackson) Bird two. Go figure.
"They've made the wrong call. Jackson Bird will come out and probably take wickets because he's a good bowler, but did he deserve a chance ahead of Sayers? In my opinion, what a mistake they've made."
Berry put forward the theory that Sayers was overlooked because he's not tall enough.
"It would have been the 6'3 (Bird) vs the 5'11 (Sayers). Absolutely I do (think height had something to do with it). There is that stigma with Sayers — not tall enough, not fast enough," he said.
"Sayers might now go from on the verge to maybe never."
This Test was perhaps Sayers' best chance to snare a baggy green, but with speedsters Pat Cummins and James Pattinson on the comeback trail he might not get another chance.
Berry also took exception to the selectors' squad for an upcoming ODI series against New Zealand.
"What's the purpose of the Matador Cup? In that comp boys, the leading run-scorer by the length of the Flemington straight was Cameron White. Since then in Shield cricket he's made 100 and 75 not-out. He is in career-best form. He's 32, not 52. He's in his prime, he's worked his game out...he is primed and ready," Berry fumed.
"Cameron White's scored 20 first-class hundreds, he's been around for 12 years, he's the form player of the competition at the moment and he's been the Matador Cup player of the series two years in a row. They're picking a one-day side, they say we play the Matador to pick our one-day team, then why hasn't he been picked?"
Berry suggested new chairman of selectors Greg Chappell 'had his fingerprints all over' White's snub, with no secret he prefers youth over experience.
"If White's missed out for generational change, it's the wrong decision."