Shane Watson retirement: George Bailey believes Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner will keep Australia in good shape
Shane Watson retirement: George Bailey believes Mitchell Marsh, James Faulkner will keep Australia in good shape
George Bailey suggested that the duo of James Faulkner and Mitchell Marsh keep Australia still is in a good shape despite Shane Watson’s retirement from Test cricket. The latter broke the news of ending test career that lasted for more than a decade on Sunday. The major reasons behind Watson’s decision were being dropped after the first Ashes 2015 Test and sustaining a calf injury in the second One-Day International against England. The Queensland cricketer scored 3731 runs and 75 wickets from 59 Tests from 2005 and 2015. Marsh and Faulkner, 25, are both more than capable seam-bowling options and have the potential to bat in the middle order. READ– Happy Birthday, George Bailey: Australian cricketer turns 33 on September 7
According to a report from Cricket Australia, Bailey said, “Marsh’s Southampton innings was really mature, and the flipside of that is when he’s seeing the ball a touch better, like he was [on Saturday], he’s crunching it. He’s getting more and more confident with his body in terms of the way he bowls the ball—he takes key wickets for us—so he’s becoming a really complete cricketer for us. He’s a good thinker about the game and he’s going to be a great leader.”
He further added, “As far as the two of them go, how exciting would it be if they can be playing in the same team in all formats? I think, going forward, that’s going to be a great option. The challenge is laid down to Jimmy [Faulkner]. I’m sure the selectors want a few more runs from him, to show that he can find a way to bat somewhere in that top six or seven. Certainly his bowling is good enough (for Tests), and for one-day and Twenty20 he fits in both of them comfortably.” READ: George Bailey defend’s Australia’s appeal against Ben Stokes for field obstruction
With a lead of 2-0 in the ongoing five-match ODI series, Australia face England in the third game at Manchester on Tuesday.