George Bailey: Players want ‘brutal honesty’ over selections

Incoming Australian selector George Bailey believes players want “brutal honesty” as to why they may have been dropped from the national team.

With competition for spots across all three formats at a premium, several players have publicly criticised the communication they’ve had with selectors over their place in the Australian set up in recent times.

Bailey who just finished his First-Class career for Tasmania will join the selection panel at the conclusion of the Big Bash League with the Hobart Hurricanes in early February.

The 37-year-old will be part of a three man selection panel alongside national selector Trevor Hohns and head coach Justin Langer.

He told The Cricket Show players simply want clarity when it comes to selection decisions.

“I’m trying to ask a lot of the players now,” Bailey said.

“My understanding of it is and in my experience I reckon what they’re after is a really logical sequence of events.

“I think players can understand selections when they can see a process has been followed and a player has been picked with a really good argument and reasoning behind it.

“I think at times that maybe hasn’t happened.

“I think the other things that players want, they may not want it at the time, is brutal honesty.

“Players would prefer to be hit between the eyes with the real reason that they are or aren’t being selected rather than perhaps a reason that has been made to let them down gently or make them feel better about it.

“There’s no great way to deliver particularly getting dropped, a message for that point in time you’re ruining someone’s dream.”

The former Australian cricketer played five Tests for his country alongside 90 ODIs and 30 T20 Internationals.

 

Click ‘play’ to hear the full interview below.

Steve Bell/Getty Images.