Birthday special: George Bailey – Australian captain in difficult times
George Bailey’s career for Australia was a short-lived one and given his talent with the bat, there is no doubt he should have played more cricket. But, in the four or five years of international cricket, Bailey made quite a name for himself. In fact, it should be noted that whenever his country’s cricket team needed him, he stepped up in multiple roles.
George was born in Launceston, Tasmania, and grew up to become a destructive batsman. He arrived in the Australian domestic cricket scene in the mid-2000s, but it took some time for him to gain prominence. He had a reputation of being a solid batsman with a great temperament and with time, he became the leader of his state team, Tasmania Tigers.
Career highlights
But his breakthrough came in 2012 when he received a call-up to the T20I side, not just as a player but also as the captain. He made his international debut leading his national team, becoming the only second-ever Australian to do so, after Dave Gregory, who led Australia in their first-ever Test.
He didn’t get instant success but the selectors stuck by him, elevating him to the role of vice-captain in the ODI team as well. Between 2013 and 2015, Michael Clarke faced several issues with injuries and Bailey would find himself leading the side. He appeared in one Ashes series as well, which turned out to be his first and last endeavor in Test cricket.
Bailey was part of the squad that won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 as well but played only the opening game, where he even led the team. He spent the rest of the tournament on the benches after Clarke returned. After Clarke’s retirement post the World Cup triumph, the selectors decided to back Steve Smith, as the next skipper, as he was relatively young.
Bailey continued to hang around the ODI side but soon the selectors started looking for young players to build a solid middle order. Bailey was a part of the Hobart Hurricanes till the 2019-20 Big Bash League season but called it quits after that. In an interesting turn of events, he was named the Australian chief selector in August 2021.
The next few months will decide Bailey’s legacy as a selector, but he would be fondly remembered for his batting, which towards the latter part of his career was known for his unusual stance. He played 5 Tests, 90 ODIs and 29 T20Is for Australia scoring 183, 3044, and 473 runs respectively in each format. He led Australia in 29 ODIs and 28 T20Is, winning 16 and 14 games respectively. On September 7, 2023, George Bailey turns 41.
