‘Tough calls’: Aussie legend’s warning to selectors

Australia will field an ageing team against England, with opener Usman Khawaja set to turn 39 during the series and likely playing his last home summer Test series. Fast bowler Mitch Starc turns 36 next January and has already retired from T20 internationals to play Test cricket for as long as possible. Fellow quick Josh Hazlewood also turns 35 in January, spin star Nathan Lyon will be 38 later this month, and even Scott Boland, set to take the place of injured captain Pat Cummins in the opening Ashes Test in Perth, is 36. There was criticism that selectors, including chief George Bailey, let David Warner bat on too long before his retirement and Australia has experienced mass retirements when the likes of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer retired at the same time in 2007. With that in mind, Waugh said Bailey and his fellow selectors would need to stand up. “George Bailey is going to have to make some tough calls and I think in the past he’s shown he hasn’t really had the appetite for that at times,” Waugh said. “So he’s (Bailey) going to have to step up to the plate with the other selectors because it is a time of transition. The bowlers are in their 30s and some of the batsmen are getting on as well. “But that’s natural for every team. You just want to make sure three or four players don’t go out at the same time. That leaves a big hole in the team. “You’ve just got to make sure it’s a transition but not all at once.” Bailey, Tony Dodemaide and Australian coach Andrew McDonald are charged with selecting the national team. Waugh also implored the selectors to take any power way from players when it comes to picking sides, having identified a trend he didn’t like. “I’d like to see the selectors pick the sides, not the players,” he declared. “There’s been a lot of players recently picking sides and saying who should be in the team. “That’s the selector’s job.”