George Bailey has failed his first major test as an Australian selector and should stand down, according to Nine sports presenter Tony Jones.
Earlier this week Bailey, who is in his first summer as selection boss, told the Cricket Et Cetera podcast that he will recuse himself from any vote over the playing future of former captain Tim Paine.
Paine stood down as skipper on Friday over a sexting scandal, but wants to play in the upcoming Ashes series.
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Bailey said that if a vote was required by selectors over Paine’s spot in the side, he would leave the call up to Tony Dodemaide and Justin Langer, noting that he’s a close friend and business partner of Paine.
Speaking on Nine’s Today, Jones didn’t hold back, calling for Paine to go, closely followed by Bailey.
“I don’t think he should play in the first Test only because it will be a distraction and Tim Paine said he didn’t want to be a distraction,” Jones said.
“I am a great fan of Tim Paine as a cricketer but I don’t think he should play in that first Test.
“Just on that, George Bailey, who is a proud Tasmanian, he is a mate of Tim Paine and I understand also a business partner of some sort.
“The chairman of selectors of the Australian cricket team he says he will excuse himself when it comes to actually choosing the side if it comes down to him having the deciding vote.
“Stand down George, stand down George.”
Jones noted that managing such a conflict is part of the job.
“I mean, every chairman, every chairman of selectors throughout the course of history in Cricket Australia will have had a mate at some stage who is on the brink,” he said.
“George Bailey, pardon the pun, faced his first test and he failed.”
Cricket is on the verge of a civil war over the issue, with Cricket Tasmania yesterday blasting Cricket Australia over the way Paine was treated.
“In conversations I have had in recent days it is clear that the anger amongst the Tasmanian cricket community and general public is palpable,” Cricket Tasmania chairman Andrew Gaggin said.
“At a time when CA should have supported Tim, he was evidently regarded as dispensable. The treatment afforded to the Australian Test captain by Cricket Australia has been appalling, and the worst since Bill Lawry over 50 years ago.”
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