Bailey opts for youth at his own expense

George Bailey would relish the opportunity to pull on the Baggy Green again but says Australia’s selectors should look to youth when picking the next crop of Test batsmen.

Australia’s batting has been under siege since the 3-0 whitewash in Sri Lanka this winter and the current home series against South Africa, which climaxed yesterday in Hobart when Steve Smith’s men were bowled out for 85 inside 33 overs.

Quick single: Captain Smith stands up under fire

The National Selection Panel drafted in 31-year-old Callum Ferguson to bolster the misfiring batting order, but even with his experience at first-class and one-day international level, the South Australia veteran was unable to stop the venomous Proteas pace attack led by Vernon Philander.

Bailey, 34, played all five Ashes Tests in the 2013-14 clean sweep, and despite sitting in second place on this summer’s Sheffield Shield run-scorers list, he says he’d be choosing youth to reinvigorate Australia’s batting order should the selectors opt for a change.

 

"If the selectors ring me I would absolutely jump out of my skin to get out there and have a crack," Bailey told cricket.com.au during the abandoned day two of the second Commonwealth Bank Test.

"I think I’m a better cricketer now for Test cricket than I was played my five (Tests).

"I would relish the opportunity. I’m happy with my form but keep picking the youngsters I reckon, give the youngsters a crack."

Among those under pressure is skipper Smith, who stood tall on day one with a defiant 48no as his side collapsed around him.

Quick single: Talk not translating to action for Australia

The 27-year-old’s captaincy has been criticised by Test great Shane Warne, in particular his management of spinner Nathan Lyon in the Perth Test loss last week.

From the Test Sri Lanka tour, the five-nil ODI series defeat in South Africa, to now being in danger of losing a Test series on home soil, the past six months have undoubtedly been the toughest in Smith’s short tenure as captain.

Bailey, who has led his country 57 times on the international stage, is confident that Smith and the Australians can rebound, and it starts with the skipper continuing to make plenty of runs.

"Don’t lose focus of the most important thing being that you are still one of the better players, and in Steve’s case, the best player in the team," Bailey said when asked what advice he has for Smith.

"To make sure your own performances and your own standards don’t drop off, don’t let the pressures of the team drag that side down.

"That’s certainly the most important thing.

"Secondly, it’s just to keep a big picture view. It’s easy to get caught with what’s happening in the here and now.

"I think if Steve continues to focus on the team doing the little things and keep working then these things pass.

"Things are as never as bad as they appear and probably never as good as they appear.

"The beauty is, and this is the great thing about Australian cricket, is that everybody has an opinion and everybody thinks that they know how to fix it.

"That’s great, that’s great how people care and that people are thinking about the game.

"It’s probably only very small things I imagine that will get them back on track and into this game and into this series."

While it might appear to be all doom and gloom around the Australian cricket team, Bailey can see the dark cloud’s silver lining.

One of Australia’s most optimistic cricketers, perhaps second only to ‘Reverend’ David Warner, Bailey says he is looking forward to seeing how his countrymen respond in the face of adversity.

"I don’t think I’ve ever played in an Australian team where you haven’t expected to win," Bailey said.

"There’s no doubt it’s a challenging little time.

"What will come out of it is we’ll find out about some really strong characters and the best players will stand up and find a way to drag Australia back into this Test and into the series.

"It’s hard watch because you’re watching your mates under pressure and really battling.

"But once again I get excited in their response and how they’ll go over the next coming days.

"Seeing Mitchell Starc how pumped he was to take a few wickets yesterday afternoon and you could see what it meant to be dragging Australia back into the game, which was great to see."