Sydney: George Bailey has claimed he is not as good as former Australian players Michael Hussey or Michael Bevan, but he believes he can cement his position in the middle order of the one-day team with the help of his temperament.
Hussey’s shock retirement last month left a gaping hole in Australia’s middle-order and critics have widely debated who should fill the West Australian’s giant shoes in all three forms.
Bailey jumped to the front of the queue in the shorter formats on Sunday after scoring his maiden ODI century in Australia’s 54-run win over the West Indies at the WACA Ground.
Bailey admitted he was not pretty to watch as a cricketer and his spot in the Australian team will always be up for debate, but he backed himself to follow in the footsteps of legendary predecessors Hussey and Bevan.
Bailey said a really important part of the finishing role is temperament and learning to bat with the lower order and learning to build partnerships through the middle of one-day games, adding he would love to make it his position for many years.
Bailey said his predecessors, Hussey and Bevan, were the best in the best business, adding he isn’t as good as them but claimed he would certainly like to have crack at it.
Bailey’s unbeaten 125 from 110 balls included three sixes in the final over, suggesting he has the all-round batting game to take on such a vital role in the Australian team.
The Twenty20 captain said he knows he doesn`t always look pretty as a cricketer, but one of the things is that he does pride himself on is the fact that he can hopefully assess the situation pretty well and come up with a reasonable plan to suit the team.
ANI
First Published: Monday, February 04, 2013, 16:49