&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Ex-Australia skipper Steve Waugh questions chief selector Bailey's ability to 'take tough calls'")
Former skipper and one of the most respected figures in Australia cricket, Steve Waugh, has questioned the ability of chief selector George Bailey to take tough calls. Waugh's statement comes after Australia announced the 15-man squad for the first Ashes Test against England which starts November 21 in Perth. Waugh's comments were in context of aging Australian side with only one of 15 players being under the age of 30. Waugh himself had retired at the age of 35 in 2004 in what what the last big transition of the Australian Test team.
Waugh questions Bailey
"George Bailey's going to have to make some tough calls," Waugh said on Tuesday (Nov 4) at the Ashes while receiving the Ashes trophy . "I think in the past he's shown he hasn't really had the appetite for that at times, so he's going to have to step up to the plate with the other selectors. The bowlers are in their 30s and some of the batsmen are getting on as well. That's natural for every team. You just want to make sure that three or four players don't go out at the same time.
The former skipper also questioned the players having an input in picking the side. Recently, Australia opener Usman Khawaja had backed Matt Renshaw as his opening partner in upcoming Ashes along with Marnus Labuschagne at number three.
"I'd like to see the selectors pick the sides, not the players," Waugh said. "There's been a lot of players recently picking sides and saying who should be in the team. That's the selectors' job."
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Australia picked 31-year-old Jake Weatherald for the potential opening position along with Labuschagne at number three.
Aging Australian Test side
Waugh's comments about the age are not without a basis. Usman Khawaja will be turning 39 soon with Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood entering mid-30s by the end of summer as well. Spinner Nathan Lyon is touching 38 as well, highlight a real concern if all of them retired around the same time.
