Ian Healy rips selector George Bailey over post-match act as Cameron Bancroft sends reminder
Australia's chief selector was involved in a bizarre moment after the loss to India.
Aussie cricket great Ian Healy has called out selector George Bailey for his post-match act in Australia's humiliating loss to India as Cameron Bancroft sent a timely reminder to the chief selector. Australia endured one of their worst ever cricket defeats on home soil having lost by 295-runs to India in the first Test in Perth.
Despite serious calls for Marnus Labuschagne to be dropped due to a worrying run of form across the last 18 months, Pat Cummins suggested it would most likely be the same XI in Adelaide. Labuschange's forms is becoming hard to ignore with Nathan McSweeney also enduring a horrible debut at the top of the order.
And Aussie cricket great Healy and SEN host Pat Welch have called out chief selector Bailey for spending time with the players during the game and then shaking hands with the Indian team after the loss. In the past, selectors have often removed themselves from the team environment.
However, Bailey has been more involved in the environment under coach Andrew McDonald. The Australian team has been a close-knit bunch for years with the likes of Mitchell Johnson leading the calls for a change at the top of the order last summer.
Bailey and Johnson got into it in a public spat, which simmered down after David Warner's retirement. However, new calls have suggested Bailey is quite close to the players. Welch claimed it was odd seeing Bailey sitting with the likes of Cummins and Steve Smith on the sideline in a tracksuit during the Test match.
“What’s the Chairman of Selectors doing sitting there in a tracksuit?" Welch said. “He should be in a corporate box somewhere watching and taking notes.”
Healy was more perplexed with Bailey taking to the field after the game. “He went out and shook hands with everyone, he did the whole shaking hands in a conga line," Healy added.
“I would be thinking if I'm an Indian cricketer, ‘What do I need to shake your hand for, you’re the chairman of selectors? I just want to hurry up and get this win celebrated’.” Welsh claimed if Australia don't turn around their form in Adelaide, Bailey could be feeling as much pressure as the likes of Cummins and Labuschagne.
While Bailey has been very reluctant to drop players from the squad as a selector, calls are growing for the likes of Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft or even Beau Webster to enter the frame. And while there appears to be no changes to the squad for the second Test against India, coach McDonald has not ruled out replacing Labuschagne from someone within the team.
Cameron Bancroft sends selectors reminder
Bancroft has been the best Sheffield Shield player across the last two campaigns, but his form dramatically dipped to start the 2024/25 campaign. Critics have even started questioning whether he deserved to keep his spot in the WA side.
Bancroft opened the Shield campaign with scores of 0, 0, 8 and 2. In a showdown to see who would take the Aussie Test opening role, Bancroft scored 0, 16, 3 and 0 for Australia A.
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However, Bancroft has sent a reminder to Bailey having scored an unbeaten 105 off 255 balls for Western Australia on Tuesday. While there is no hint McSweeney will be dropped from the Aussie team, Labuschagne's place is less certain and if does not perform in Adelaide, a shuffle of the order could be needed.
Bancroft could find himself back in the opening role for Australia come Brisbane. This could see McSweeney move down to first drop if Labuschagne does not score runs.
Andrew McDonald's telling comments
Aussie coach McDonald was asked about the make-up of the team in Adelaide with calls for Labuschagne to make way after a lean 18 months. However, while refusing to guarantee his place - with Josh Inglis lurking in the squad as a potential replacement - McDonald also claimed Labuschagne is in their plans.
“We look at the way he plays, and when he’s at his best,” McDonald said. “And when we’ve seen him at his best he’s shown great intent at the crease.
“That’s an ongoing discussion and that ebbs and flows in players’ careers, so at the moment he’s in one of those patches and no doubt he’ll be getting critiqued externally. But internally we’re really confident that, at his best, he’s the player that we need.” Labuschagne is averaging just 13.66 across his last five Tests.
