Stand-in skipper looking for first outright series win
Bailey wants to hold the gold
George Bailey has led Australia’s limited-overs outfit into battle more than 40 times, as Michael Clarke’s understudy in the ODI arena and as his nation’s stand alone skipper in the even more abbreviated Twenty20 format.
But only once has he earned the honour of hoisting a trophy at the end of a 50-over international tournament, and even then he had to share the occasion with Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene as their five-match series last year finished 2-2 due to a washout in Sydney.
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Tomorrow, as Australia enters the final of the two-week tri-series in Harare against South Africa, Bailey has the chance to alter that record having assumed the role from Clarke when the regular ODI captain was forced to return to Australia last Monday with a hamstring tear.
And while Bailey concedes having the captaincy handed back and forwards as Clarke succumbs to and then recovers from injury – sometimes within a single game, as was the case in last Sunday’s loss to Zimbabwe – he takes his greatest pleasure from the success of others.
“It’s always difficult when Pup (Clarke) is here and in and out - you don't want that unsettled nature but it's something I do enjoy,” Bailey said of his on and off captaincy responsibilities.
“I get a lot of satisfaction out of seeing a guy like Mitchell Marsh play the way he did the other day (with an unbeaten 86 from 51 balls against South Africa), and seeing guys like Kane Richardson come in and perform a role really well.
“That's something I find really satisfying.
“(Like) giving the ball to Maxi (part-time spinner Glenn Maxwell) and he gets an early wicket, those things are great.
“They take the focus off your own game which is always a good thing.”
After the embarrassing hiccup against Zimbabwe, which resulted in a three-wicket defeat and the loss of Clarke, Australia would appear to have timed its run to the final to a nicety.
The only concerns in the reduced 13-man squad remain the fitness of sole specialist spinner Nathan Lyon, and Richardson who was forced to sit out the last portion of yesterday’s training session at the Harare Sports Club after suffering soreness in his right side while bowling.
“Just one ball in particular that hurt the side a little bit,” Richardson said after the session.
“My back is never great at the best of times, so I’ll see the physios (today) to see how it pulls up and make a decision.
“It's definitely not a proper side strain, I wouldn't have been able to bowl through that.
“It’s more just a little niggle.”
If he is forced out of Australia’s starting XI, he will be replaced by seam bowling allrounder James Faulkner.
Lyon was forced to leave the field a couple of times in the midst of completing his 10-over spell against South Africa last Tuesday, and looked to be in trouble given he was unable to properly lift his right leg when walking.
But he has been diagnosed with a recurrence of Iliotibial (ITB) band syndrome in which the thick fascia band that extends from the hip to the top of the lower leg is pulled tight, resulting in inflammation of the band where it passes over the outside of the knee joint.
The spinner only did some light walking exercises at training yesterday, but will take part in today’s final top-up session at the HSC and is not considered in doubt for tomorrow’s final against the Proteas.
While the Australian players underwent intensive skills and fitness work at the National Cricket Centre in Brisbane prior to leaving for this tour, given that many had come off a three-month break from cricket, they had not counted on the surface conditions at the picturesque Harare ground.
“It's a heavy ground,” Bailey said.
“All three teams (including Zimbabwe who were eliminated from the tri-series by South Africa yesterday) are feeling it.
“Batsmen cramp and a lot of the guys are pulling up pretty sore the next day.”
Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson was one of those who felt the pinch early and was rested from the Zimbabwe loss.
But he returned full of venom against South Africa two days later, and his emphatic spell included three wickets as well as a telling blow on rival allrounder Ryan McLaren which sent the South African out of the tournament with a fractured forearm.
“I said to him (Johnson) the other day there was real intent, I thought he was up a yard in pace which obviously we can't measure over here but it certainly felt that way,” Bailey said.
“He felt it was more his intent and his aggressiveness to try and get into the game.
“There’s no doubt you can feel that on the field, it really makes it easier as a fielding group to get energetic and buzz about when he's got batsmen hopping around.
“So that's really important to us.
“It's unfortunate when blokes get injured but it's a great weapon up our sleeve.”
Bailey also revealed that while he and Clarke work closely together when on tour and that they spoke at length in the wake of the Zimbabwe loss before Clarke boarded a plane back to Australia, he won’t receive any calls from the skipper’s Sydney couch in the lead-up to the final.
While he welcomes any input, he claims that once Clarke is away from the group he leaves the leadership decisions to his deputy.
And Bailey can expect the same sort of assistance from his own highly experienced lieutenant, Test and limited-overs wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Provided all is progressing smoothly, that is.
“I only go to George if things are going well,” Haddin joked about his relationship with the auxiliary skipper.
“If there’s a partnership (building between opposition batsmen) I turn the other way and pretend I can’t hear him, the same as I do with Michael (Clarke).
“The thing with Michael is he’s standing at first slip - at least George is at cover and I can turn my back.”