Rob Quiney has urged Australia to stick with Travis Head and David Warner as its opening partnership, but questions are being asked of chairman of selectors George Bailey’s influence within the team.
Bailey was appointed the new selection chief 14 months ago, but was spotted throughout the dismal T20 World Cup campaign and in Thursday night’s one dayer against England sitting with players in the dugout.
Former Australian captain Ian Healy has questioned why someone with such power within the team would be amongst the players on game day.
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“It’s very interesting,” Healy said on his SEN show.
“George Bailey can throw well, he can provide an extra coach around the traps… but he’s not an extra coach is he? He’s a selector. I think in form players wouldn’t mind (having him next to them); I think down on form players would hate it and have to start acting.
“I think injured type players carrying niggles small or maybe larger wouldn’t be keen to have the chairman of selectors so close.
“The current mood in that team might change with the selector so upfront and so close.
“If the acting isn’t good… they could be exposed. We let out of form players stay in that team in that T20 World Cup and that’s all while the chairman of selectors was in the dug out and very very close to the personality of the squad.”
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Bailey was filmed having a laugh with star duo Warner and Marnus Labuschagne during Thursday night’s game one victory over England.
Ex-Aussie batsman Quiney wants Bailey and coach Andrew McDonald to back Head as the man to stay as opener heading into the 2023 World Cup to be held in India next October.
“(Warner and Head) broke the back of England’s bowling,” Quiney said on SEN.
“They pounced on (England’s) David Willey and they saw his lack of pace and got their partnership kick started.
“(Head) is still learning about the batsmanship part of it.
“Travis needs to identify that he can turn this start into a really big hundred and still win the game.
“It’s that balance of when to pull the trigger and when to go through the gears.
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“It will be an exciting 10-12 months for Travis Head for the next World Cup.”
Quiney likened the duo’s new partnership to that of having a “new girlfriend”, given Warner and now retired Aaron Finch had been at the top of the Aussie one-day order for almost a decade.
“It’s almost like the new girlfriend coming in and taking over,” Quiney said.
“It was almost like everything was OK.
“147 off 20 overs … This is a new partnership that’s forming after we’ve seen Warner and Finch at the top of the order for so long.”
Australia put England away in ODI opener | 04:01
Head scored 69 off just 57 balls in game one in the first ODI for Australia since Finch’s retirement.
Since coming back into the one-day line up, after more than three years out of the side, Head is averaging 63.2 runs – and at almost 65 runs as opener.
Despite the joy of the game one victory, the Aussies head into game two with lighter pockets after the side was fined for a slow over rate.
Players were docketed 40 per cent of their match fee for being two overs short of the time allowance at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.
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