Leading team a ‘dream come true’ for Bailey

Stand-in Australia captain hopeful of Clarke’s comeback against Sri Lanka

LONDON: Stand-in captain George Bailey has insisted leading Australia during the Champions Trophy tournament in the UK has been a ‘dream come true’ despite the distractions of the David Warner affair.

The 30-year-old Tasmanian, already Australia’s Twenty20 skipper, has found himself in charge of the limited-0vers side, while regular captain Michael Clarke has been sidelined with a recurrence of his longstanding back problem.

Bailey responded by top-scoring for Australia with 55 in their tournament-opening defeat by England and made the same score in their no-result washout with New Zealand.

In between those fixtures it emerged Warner had attacked England’s Joe Root in a Birmingham bar — something Bailey tried to brush aside as a ‘very minor incident’.

Bailey, asked if leading Australia in a major international tournament in England had been everything he dreamed it would be so far, replied, “Every day brings something different and that’s sometimes challenging, sometimes enjoyable, sometimes a bit of both.

“Absolutely it is, it’s a dream come true, really.”

Bailey though cannot wait for Clarke’s return and is hopeful the star batsman will be fit to face Sri Lanka at The Oval today in the last game in Group A — a match Australia must win to have any chance at all of reaching the Champions Trophy semi-finals.

“I’m pretty anxious for Clarke to come back. As a cricketer and as a leader. I know I’ve said it every game, but I’m hopeful for the next game. But this time we’re certainly looking like we’re having him [today].”

Former coach laments lack of Australia ‘leaders’

Reacting to the Warner episode, former Australia coach Tim Nielsen said the current side was suffering from a lack of leaders.

“Probably the biggest difference between a lot of great sides is that strength of leadership of your players,” Nielsen told BBC Radio Five’s Sportsweek programme. “It doesn’t mean they have to have captain next to their name.”

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2013.