George Bailey's Shield career comes to unfortunate end
George Bailey’s tenure as a national selector will begin sooner than anticipated, after the Tasmanian veteran was bowled for a duck in his final first-class innings.
The soon-to-be selector chose to leave an in-swinging delivery from South Australian quick Wes Agar, a miscalculation that cost him his off stump and brought his career to a close.
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Bradman comparisons abounded for Bailey as he trudged back to the Blundstone Arena pavilion.
It was an inglorious Shield end at Bellerive Oval for the popular veteran, who'll retire at the end of the Big Bash League season to become a national selector.
He finishes his 15-year first-class career with more than 10,000 runs.
Bailey was Agar's second victim in the space of two balls, after Mac Wright (eight) was caught at mid-on off a mis-timed pull shot.
Bailey, who played 90 ODIs, 30 T20s and five Tests for Australia, managed just seven in Tasmania first innings of 254.
Cricket Australia blames curators for MCG 'farce’
Cricket Australia's head of operations Peter Roach says MCG curators went too far in their attempts to create more movement in the wicket.
The MCG has come under heavy scrutiny following the abandonment of the Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and Western Australia on Sunday due to fears over player safety.
Warriors duo Shaun Marsh and Marcus Stoinis had to undergo concussion tests after balls spat up dangerously from the deck on Saturday and hit them on the head.
Fortunately, both players were cleared of concussion.
Roach says the aim is to create unique characteristics at individual Australian cricket grounds, but concedes MCG head curator Matt Page and his staff went a little bit too far in their attempts to produce more movement in the wicket.
But Roach claims Page and his ground staff now know what they can and can't do ahead of Australia's Boxing Day Test against New Zealand.
He made contact with New Zealand officials after the match was abandoned to reassure them that the pitch will be of a high standard for the match, which will take place on a strip that has not been used in the Shield this season.
"We want to see more movement in that wicket and more action in those early days of the Test match," Roach told SEN on Monday.
"They (the curators) have gone on the path to try and do that. This time they went a little bit far, but the learning from that is that they now know what they can and can't do.
"We've got confidence for the Test match on Boxing Day and we look forward to the 26th of December.”
WITH AAP
