Australia’s chief selector George Bailey has defended the decision to retain the veteran core of the national Test side for the upcoming Ashes series, responding to criticism from former captain Steve Waugh, who questioned the team’s ageing profile.
Speaking to reporters on the Gold Coast, Bailey said the 15-man squad — which features only one player under 30, all-rounder Cameron Green — was chosen based purely on performance. “We’re aware of the age profile of the team,” he said. “I’m interested when people say we need to regenerate — who exactly do they want us to drop? Should we leave out Nathan Lyon or Mitchell Starc just because of their age?”
Bailey emphasized that players like Starc, Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins have been the backbone of Australia’s bowling attack for nearly a decade, and their consistency and form justified their continued selection.
The squad announcement saw 20-year-old opener Sam Konstas dropped, while uncapped Jake Weatherald was added, and Marnus Labuschagne, 31, made his return. One of Weatherald or Labuschagne is expected to open alongside 38-year-old Usman Khawaja when the five-Test Ashes series begins on November 21 in Perth.
Bailey also revealed that Mitchell Marsh was considered but ultimately left out, allowing the 34-year-old T20 captain to fulfill his lighthearted promise of watching the first Test “with a beer in hand” in his hometown.
Joking about Marsh’s omission, Bailey said, “We went to the ICC, but they wouldn’t let the umpires take breathalysers onto the field. If he was six or eight beers deep by the first ball, that would’ve made it tricky.”
Despite Waugh’s warning that failing to refresh the lineup could endanger Australia’s future competitiveness, Bailey insisted the selectors had full confidence in the current group’s form and experience heading into the Ashes.
