David Warner has rallied to the defence of Australia selector George Bailey in the wake of the ABC radio controversy that has engulfed the final Ashes Test.
Earlier this week, ABC broadcaster and former Test player Stuart Clark exploded into a sensational rant in which he bizarrely slammed Australia’s leadership team.
He took aim at Cricket Australia’s head of cricket, James Allsopp, claiming that he was a ‘grade club cricket coach that throws underarm balls to kids.’
He then went on to criticise Bailey, questioning whether he had the ‘gravitas’ to question decisions being made by Steve Smith and Pat Cummins.
It resulted in Cricket Australia banning ABC radio from interviewing players during the SCG Test and also saw the broadcaster’s managing director, Hugh Marks, phoning Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg late on Tuesday night to hash things out.
Greenberg had explained that Clark’s criticism of the Australian hierarchy was a ‘personal’ attack and was ‘out of order’.
David Warner has rallied to the defence of Australia selector George Bailey and head coach Andrew McDonald in the wake of the ABC controversy that has engulfed the final Ashes Test
It came after Stuart Clark (Pictured, centre, with Warner, left) had slammed Australia chief selector George Bailey, Cricket Australia head of cricket James Allsopp
Clark claimed that Allsopp (left) was a ‘club coach that throws underarm balls to kids’. He also took aim at Pat Cummins (right) and Australia’s leadership group
Meanwhile, ABC reporter Corbin Middlemas slammed Cricket Australia for the decision, claiming it was ‘extremely disappointing’.
Warner has now issued a rebuttal to Clark’s comments, explaining that times have changed since he was playing cricket, adding that Bailey now delivers honest advice to Australia’s stars, should they ask why they might have missed out on selection.
‘I think it’s a different change from everything, where before you really didn’t see the chairman of selectors,’ Warner said to Fox Cricket.
‘You didn’t really see anyone around and then having the presence of George being around the group, you’re having those honest conversations, (whereas) I feel like back in the day it was almost like you (were) rang up (and told), “You’re not picked”, but you didn’t know why you weren’t picked.
‘No one asked any questions.
‘Today there are a lot of people who ask questions of, “What do I need to do? What have I done wrong?” And I think the way that George goes about it, I think, is good.
‘Yeah, he’s always around the guys, but it’s good to have a relationship with your coaching staff, your selector staff, because it’s important. You’re travelling around with each other. You can have honest conversations.’
Warner claimed that Bailey had taken some brave decisions during this Test series too, opting not to select Nathan Lyon during the day-night Test.
But Warner had risen to the defence of Bailey (pictured) claiming the selector had made some ‘brave decisions’ during the series
The former Test opener claimed it was a ‘brave call’ to leave Lyon out of the day-night Test in the West Indies too.
‘They’re brave calls. They’re not going to always get everything right. But nine times out of ten, they’re on the money. I like that. I like the way that they’ve structured that in this way. Communication forward now, everyone wants an answer. Unless you can support that answer, you can’t just say: “I’ve just got to go and score runs”.’
Warner then went on to speak on his former team-mate Marnus Labuschagne, who has endured a difficult few years with his form.
After Australia’s World Test Championship Final defeat by South Africa, the Queensland batter was dropped from their tour of the West Indies.
He returned to play Shield cricket, where he would excel, posting four centuries in the space of five matches.
‘Marnus is a great example,’ Warner explained. ‘Only speaking to Marnus, those were conversations that were being had with him.
‘The Uzzie [Khawaja] stuff around talking about him retiring, they were the same conversations I was having with them.
‘It wasn’t more of a year out. It’s like: “If I don’t play well in the first two, then you know what? That’s it”.’
Warner (left) pointed to how Australia had dropped Nathan Lyon in the day-night Test in Brisbane
Lyon (left) said he was filthy about the snub. Warner meanwhile, explained it was a ‘brave decision’ by Bailey
‘But you have those honest conversations. So it’s not like he’s too close to the players or anything like that. That’s his method and I’ve had no issues with it. And I’ve played with him and obviously had him as a head selector.’
Clark, meanwhile, revealed that he had sought out Greenberg during the third day of the Sydney Test.
It came after the pace bowler had said live on air: ‘James Allsopp, who runs cricket in Australia, the head of cricket, community cricket, is a grade club cricket coach that throws underarm balls to kids.
‘That’s what his background is,’ the former fast bowler added on Allsopp. ‘He’s a lovely guy, don’t get me wrong. But he now runs the whole of cricket. He can’t tell [coach] Andrew McDonald or [captain] Steve Smith what to do.
‘[Ben Oliver] runs high-performance cricket, but I’m not really sure what he does now.
He then turned his attention to Australia’s chief selector, Bailey.
‘Does he [Bailey] have the gravitas or the leadership skills to tell Andrew McDonald and Steve Smith or Pat Cummins what to do? He should do, 100 per cent, but I don’t think he does.’
The ABC would, on day four, be allowed to interview a player after Jacob Bethell wrapped up play 142 not out, with England leading Australia by 119 runs.
Greenberg had explained that Clark’s criticism of the Australian hierarchy was a ‘personal’ attack and was ‘out of order’
‘I am not going to get into a public spat with Todd. I have known Todd for 20-odd years,’ Clark said.
‘We worked together at the NRL. We are friends. We played golf together,’ Clark said, reflecting on his conversations with Greenberg.
‘We have had disagreements. We will continue to have disagreements. We obviously don’t agree and that’s cool.
‘From my point of view, there is no point in having a war of words about this other than to confirm that I went and found Todd.’
