Details have emerged of the Jake Weatherald Test dropping that followed Australia’s win over Bangladesh in Darwin, with the opening batter revealing exactly how chairman of selectors George Bailey delivered the news.
Weatherald had spent the day fishing with Travis Head and Alex Carey when Bailey tried to reach him. The conversation finally happened that night, at the team hotel, once the opener got back.
He admits the timing caught him off guard, even though he knew a difficult call was coming at some point.
George Bailey Delivers Selection Verdict at Team Hotel
Weatherald says Bailey pulled him aside the moment he returned from the river, warning him straight away that the chat would not be an easy one.
I had just come back from fishing with Trav and Kez for the day. He was trying to contact me most of the day, in all fairness, but I sort of got back late that night and then he just pulled me aside and said, ‘It’s not going to be a great conversation’. Look, I knew that was going to happen. I didn’t think it was going to happen so soon, but once he wanted a conversation, I knew what’s going to happen. But I didn’t think it was going to happen that game, so it was somewhat of a shock. But at the same time, you’re playing for Australia. You’re playing for the best team in the world (at the) moment, so if you lose, you know … heads are going to roll. So, unfortunately, that was me.
Weatherald’s account, given in a Fox Sports Australia interview, frames the Jake Weatherald Test dropping as a decision he half expected but did not see arriving in that particular match.
Gabba Ashes Row and Strikers Link With Ben Stokes
Weatherald is also known for his part in one of the more heated flashpoints of recent Ashes cricket. During the second Test at the Gabba, he stepped into a confrontation between Jofra Archer and Steve Smith, which drew in Ben Stokes and left Weatherald at the centre of an on-field standoff.
The incident became one of the talking points among recent Test match controversies involving Australia and England.
Asked whether he has crossed paths with Stokes since, Weatherald was relaxed about their lack of contact, pointing instead to time spent with his own teammates.
I didn’t have a beer with him, which is amazing considering what’s been going on recently. But … I’m sure a lot of the blokes love him and really get along with him. And I was probably too busy … having a few drinks with my teammates at the time
Stokes has since signed with the Adelaide Strikers for the upcoming Big Bash League season, a deal that will place the England all-rounder in Weatherald’s home city.
South Australia Domestic Season and Upcoming Timeline
Away from the Test picture, Weatherald’s domestic career has taken him from South Australia to Tasmania and back again. He returned to his home state after his stint in Tasmanian cricket, rejoining South Australia’s squad for the Sheffield Shield programme.
That move is covered in detail in our report on South Australia domestic squad return, which outlines his role in the state’s push for Shield silverware.
For now, Weatherald’s focus sits with South Australia’s domestic campaign rather than the Test side, with no indication from Cricket Australia of any near-term recall.
