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"Show respect": Bailey responds to cricket great's Ashes barb
SEN • November 5th, 2025 2:51 pm
Australian cricket selector George Bailey responded to Steve Waugh’s Ashes barb suggesting respect should be shown to players that have earned their call up – irrespective of age.
Referring to the number of players who look set to be playing their final series for Australia, Waugh called for tougher decisions to be made to allow for more talent to come through the ranks.
“George Bailey’s going to have to make some tough calls and I think in the past, 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 because it is a time of transition,” Waugh on Wednesday morning before the Australian squad was announced.
“The bowlers are in their 30s and some of the batsmen are getting on as well, but 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.
"That leaves a big hole in the team. So, they got to just make sure that it is a transition, but not all at once.
“I’d like to see the selectors pick the sides, not the players. There’s been a lot of players recently picking sides and saying who should be in the team. That’s the selectors’ job.”
Usman Khawaja will turn 39 during the Ashes, which gets started on November 21 in Perth while Nathan Lyon is 37 and Mitch Starc is 35.
Asked for his thoughts on Waugh’s comments and how much impact players had on the final squad, Bailey joked: “They were not in the selection meeting the players.
“We’re aware of the age profile of the team. I’m interested, do they (critics of the age profile) want Starc and Lyon out? There’s other ways of attacking that.
“You have to have respect for the fact these guys work incredibly hard to play Test cricket.
“Give due respect to the guys performing and earnt he right to be selected. There would be more names on that list of the players were able to pick.”
Jake Weatherald, who has 248 runs for Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield this season, got the nod over Matt Renshaw as mystery over who will partner Usman Khawaja as opener remains.
It marks the first time Weatherald has been included in a Test squad.
Despite his heroics against India last December, there was no room for Sam Konstas who has endured a tumultuous start to the domestic season.
Having been dropped in June, Marnus Labuschagne is back in contention, so too are Cameron Green and Beau Webster.
Sean Abbott and Brendan Doggett were included but are unlikely to play.
Australia’s squad for 1st Ashes Test: Steve Smith (c), Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Brendan Doggett, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster
