Australian chairman of selectors George Bailey has found himself in the spotlight for the second time this summer.
Former Aussie coach Darren Lehmann took aim at Bailey over his close-knit relationship with the current squad.
Watch every ball of Australia v India LIVE & ad-break free during play in 4K on Kayo | New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited time offer.
With several question marks remaining over certain players, Lehmann pointed the finger at Bailey and said he potentially isn’t the right man to make the tough calls.
“In my opinion, he’s too close to the team,” Lehmann said on ABC Sport.
“I would like him sitting up watching in a selectors’ box somewhere and be able to make his own decisions.
“My preference is the selector to be able to make decisions within a selection group and deliver a hard message if they have to. Make a hard decision if they have to for the betterment of Australian cricket.
“Now, you can’t do that sometimes if you’re too close because you actually get too emotional and you care about the players. As a selector, I cared about the players, as a coach you do, but sometimes you actually get too close and you forget about what’s out there.”
AUS v India – 3rd Test, Day 4 Highlights | 08:18
Lehmann pointed out the issue of players sticking around far too long and said the selectors once again aren’t stepping in and handing down the tough decisions.
“Or selectors aren’t strong enough to actually stop players playing,” Lehmann said.
“Are players playing too long? History shows in the last little bit, maybe they have been.
“Selectors have to be a little bit stronger.”
The former Australian batter admitted his career went “a year-and-a-half too long”, but said he thanked former selector Trevor Hohns when he was ultimately dropped.
“I was too old to be playing at that level, I wasn’t sharp enough or ready enough to face bowlers at 150kph and I think you actually get to that stage,” he said.
Australian captain Pat Cummins responded to Lehmann’s remarks during the post-match press conference on Wednesday, telling reporters: “I don’t know how that could be true.
“Of course the most important thing is you do stay objective, and I think the selection panel are amazing at that. They’ve made some really bold calls over the last couple years in all formats, probably bolder than I’d seen other selectors make over the previous years, so they’ve never shied away from a tough decision.
“What George brings to role is amazing, and I think you’d hear that from the guys in the side, but you’d also hear it from state guys and everyone outside it as well.”
It’s not the first time Bailey has been called out by a former Australian star with Ian Healy taking aim following the opening Test in Perth.
Healy singled out one moment where he believes Bailey was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Bailey was spotted sitting in the dug-out alongside the Aussie players, but it was when he entered the field of play and shook hands with Indian players that got under the skin of Healy.
“He went out and shook hands with everyone, he did the whole shaking hands in a conga line,” Healy said on SEN Queensland.
Vaughan revals combined Ashes XI | 01:20
“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’.”
Healy’s co-host Pat Welch said Bailey shouldn’t be sitting directly alongside the Aussie players.
“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.”
The close ties between Bailey and Cummins have previously been highlighted as a concern by Aussie Test cult hero Mitchell Johnson.
With two Tests remaining in the series, all eyes will be on Bailey and how the selectors navigate the current Australian squad.
Discussion about this post