It’s been a big week for Australian chairman of selectors George Bailey and, not dissimilar to way he used to conduct himself on the cricket field, the 43-year-old Tasmanian has taken it all in his stride.
While announcing the eagerly anticipated Australian squad for the first Ashes Test against England in Perth later this month, Bailey first took a moment to crack a joke about young NSW opener Sam Kostas whom he said he feels genuinely sorry for after being dropped.
“Every time Sam farts it’s a headline,” Bailey announced candidly to an expectant global cricketing media, many of whom weren’t quite sure how to react.
But the best was yet to come.
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Later when asked about the decision to leave out veteran all-rounder Mitch Marsh, Bailey delivered one of the more entertaining selection explanations ever seen in professional sports.
During the recent T20I series again India, Marsh himself had declared he would most likely be drinking beers from the crowd during the first Ashes Test in his home town of Perth, rather than playing—and Bailey was happy to run with the narrative.
“That was a tricky one,” Bailey explained with a grin.
“We went to the ICC and the issue there was that they wouldn’t let the umpires take breathalysers out on to the field.
“If he (Marsh) was going to be six or eight beers deep by the time the first ball was bowled, it was going to make it tricky.”
With tongue wedged firmly in cheek, it all made for a refreshing change of pace ahead of a five-match Test series between cricket’s oldest foes that, as always, is sure to provide an abundance of seriousness.