George Bailey appointed as full-time selector by Cricket Australia
What's the story?
George Bailey has been appointed as the new selector of the Australian cricket team. Cricket Australia, the governing body of the sport in the country, made an official announcement to this effect on Wednesday, 27 November 2019.
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Bailey will join a three-man panel after the conclusion of the Big Bash League 2019-20, replacing the outgoing Greg Chappell. Trevor Hohns (who is also the chairman) and current coach Justin Langer are the other two members.
The background
Bailey made his T20I debut against India in 2012. He played 30 T20I matches in his career, scoring 473 runs at a strike rate of 136.71.
Bailey achieved very little success in the longest format of the game, but he was an ODI specialist for Australia during his prime.
The Tasmania-born player represented his nation in 90 ODI games, aggregating 3,044 runs, and his highest ODI score was 156. He played his last international match against New Zealand in December 2016.
The heart of the matter
Bailey will end his cricket career after completing his duties for Tasmania and Hobart Hurricanes in the current domestic competitions. Cricket Australia's EGM of National Teams, Ben Oliver confirmed Bailey's appointment and said:
"We're thrilled to have George join the National Selection Panel. He is an outstanding leader and one of the most respected, thoughtful and generous figures in international cricket."
Oliver heaped praise on the former Aussie skipper by talking about his records on the cricket field. He continued:
"George's international and domestic playing career speaks for itself. His extensive experience across all formats, and deep knowledge of T20 cricket, will be invaluable as we head into a home T20 World Cup and beyond.
"We're also excited about the broader impact that George will have on Australian cricket as we work to connect more closely with players, coaches and high performance staff across the country."
The 37-year-old Bailey also expressed spoke on his appointment, saying:
"I am passionate about the long-term success of the Australian cricket team and advancing the cause of Australian cricket in general. I'm confident I can add value to the selection process and that my experience will be complementary to that of Trevor and Justin. I am really excited to be joining them in the coming months."
What's next?
With the Big Bash League set to culminate on 8 February 2020, we can expect Bailey to kick off a new innings of his cricket career in mid-February.