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ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP

February 13, 2015

George Bailey

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

Q. What are your feelings leading intotomorrownight with 90,000 people?
GEORGE BAILEY: Yeah, mainly excitement. I certainly feel like we've been ready cricket-wise for a long time. So I think it's just the anticipation and excitement. Obviously a lot of talk about a big crowd, big tournament, and a big clash to kick it off. All things that I think the boys are just very, very excited about.

Q. Given the competition of the England attack, do you think denying early wickets and the new ball will go a long way to deny a hefty target?
GEORGE BAILEY: It will, but I would imagine we'd like to deny early wickets against whoever is bowling. That is just a basic game plan regardless of who takes it. I certainly think England rely heavily on being able to take those early wickets. I certainly think our best cricket is played when we don't give other teams early wickets.

Q. You've been captain Australia in 30 of the last 47 One Day Internationals. How much does it feel like your team?
GEORGE BAILEY: Oh, it doesn't really. Well, I've never felt like that with any team. I feel like we have a very strong unit in its entirety, including staff, including senior players, including young players. Certainly try to facilitate an environment where guys are comfortable coming up with ideas, solving problems, creating their own destiny in the way they play. Which I don't think is too different from the way Mark has captained when he's been there as well.

Q. Is it still the case that the boys are a bit more tense going into that start and whatnot?
GEORGE BAILEY: I think naturally when you get closer to a big tournament, yeah, you become a little tense, you become a little anxious, but more in anticipation of what's ahead. In many ways a World Cup sort of structure gives you a little bit of downtime to enjoy yourself a bit more and have a few days off. Certainly in typical series where you're playing, flying, playing, it gets really draining. A World Cup set-up means we'll spend a bit more time as a group in different cities and hopefully enjoy each other's company. So managing that will be important. Make sure we build up and we are ready to go come game days. In between that making sure we find the time to switch off and rejuvenate and relax.

Q. Given Michael's on track for the game, do you feel any added pressure ahead oftomorrow?
GEORGE BAILEY: No, I mean, I think it's a pretty basic equation there. So what will be will be.

Q. What do you feel you need to keep you in the position say Michael is coming back?
GEORGE BAILEY: Oh, I don't think I probably will, but that's fine. I think it's great that he's on track certainly from the initial time of him and his injury. I think he's done a remarkable job to get back in time. To even have members to have been playing in this game to be available for that next game as was always the plan. I think he's done a great job.

Q. How much are you feeling the pressure of expectation playing on home soil?
GEORGE BAILEY: Oh, I'm certainly not, but I have nothing to compare it against. I'm just certainly looking forward to the fact that we get to, I guess, enjoy some home comforts. Enjoy some home support and embrace the opportunity that comes around having a World Cup at home. Which we've spoken about it's an opportunity that you're borne into. It's part luck. There have been some amazing Australian sides that have won World Cups all over the world, some amazing Australian players that have never had the opportunity to play at home. You can view that as pressure if you like. You can view it as what a wonderful opportunity and honor. And I think that's the way we're trying to approach it.

Q. How does being favorites sit well with the score? Obviously the expectations are going to be there and obviously a big crowdtomorrow.
GEORGE BAILEY: Our expectations are always to win regardless. So if outsiders or the general public, the media feel that we're favorites, then that's fine. It doesn't affect the game at all the way that that will be played. So the Australian cricket team, the One Day team expects to win One Day tournaments, and this tournament is no different.

Q. When you say one-day cricket, recently how much does that count on going into this World Cup game?
GEORGE BAILEY: I'd love to say it won count for something, but I honestly don't think it does. I think England have made some really positive changes to the way they play and their structure. I personally think they look really dangerous. I don't think they rely too heavily on one or two players, which is a pretty good motto. Unfortunately, we all start on zerotomorrow. So I would imagine both sides will be well aware of how important it is to start well and get that momentum and get that confidence. I guess the disclaimer to that is both sides will know that whichever side does go down, it's not the end of the tournament.

Q. No expectations and nothing to lose that will make it even more of a danger game?
GEORGE BAILEY: I guess we are taking it as a danger game, so I would imagine they would have expectations. There are a lot of very good and a lot of proud cricketers within that side. I would be surprised if think went into the game feeling like that even if they said that was how they were feeling.

Q. Did you have a look at the posters of the inner city and the playing banner?
GEORGE BAILEY: No.

Q. It said, "Missing a pair of balls. If found, return to the English cricket team."
GEORGE BAILEY: Right.

Q. What do you think of that that somebody was calling funny, but how do you look at that on the eve of the match?
GEORGE BAILEY: Very witty, isn't it? Who's come up with that? Hungry Jacks or something? Very good.

Q. WhatÂ’s it like to have players in your side that can bowl over 160 clicks. But how amazing is it to have that kind of arsenal at your disposal in the match?
GEORGE BAILEY: It's amazing come game time; it's horrible at training. But I can't wait for the actual game to start so at least I can direct it rather than just cop it! Yeah, it's pretty special. They're a pretty special group of bowlers who, I think if they work as well as we certainly hope they can throughout this tournament and as well as they have done at different times, they could be a real difference. A lot of people have talked about death bowling and power play bowling. We certainly feel like with their attack, we can do a lot of damage upfront and kill games off or win games early. It's just so exciting. I guess people talk a little bit in one-day cricket about dead periods or periods where it's long wind, and you've got that arsenal at your disposal, you can be continually pushing the game and controlling the game and trying to have a real impact. That's a pretty special thing.

Q. Just to have a mindset on what you were saying before about Michael. Using the Snicko, it's home soil at MCG, and knowing that might Michael might be returning soon, is it hard to get your head around that or is it something you've braced yourself for?
GEORGE BAILEY: No, not braced. It's just what it is. I think all along we've talked about a squad mentality, and I imagine all the other teams will be feeling the same way. If you're relying on 11 blokes to win the tournament, I think you're four well short. So we're very, very comfortable with the group. We've got where we're at and the roles that everyone plays within the team, and that's a really important thing, I think, to have that clarity around what your role is.

Q. Do you feel you're batting as well as you did when you were right at the best One Day going around?
GEORGE BAILEY: Who wrote that? When was that?

Q. The ICC.
GEORGE BAILEY: Oh. I actually feel like I'm hitting the ball really well. I've said before, I actually feel that my role has changed a bit within the team in terms of the way we play. Certainly a lot more runs. There is no doubt about that. But our record as a team in the games that I've played is bloody good, I reckon, and I'll stand behind that and what we've achieved as a group is very, very good. I think if you look at my international career, it stacks up pretty well against just about anyone, so I'm very comfortable about where I'm at. But like every single batsman that's about to take part in this tournament, I want some runs.

Q. Those two 40s make you feel good?
GEORGE BAILEY: I'm seeing the ball okay. Yeah, yeah, saving them up.

Q. It seems we can't have a cricket tournament go by without some discussion about player behavior and the on the field incidents. Is there any discussion at all within the group about the way you want to play the game during this tournament?
GEORGE BAILEY: I can honestly say there's never been a discussion that I've had in any of our meetings. We've got a lot of different personalities within the team, and I think we all know how some of those guys play, and we all know how the other guys play. I don't think that will change. That's part and parcel. Obviously, we don't want ugly incidents, but we certainly play the game aggressively.

Q. George, with the pitch, have you had a look in is there a possibility for Xavier to play in this game? Do you think it's more for the fastballs?
GEORGE BAILEY: I think it will be more for the quicks here. I haven't looked at the Wicket, but certainly the structure that we've gone into MCG games over the past couple of years. But it will be interesting. Certainly I think the Twenty 20 game here, International Twenty 20 game early in the year was quite quick and bouncy. I think we've played a number of One Days here that have been. But in the practice game during the week was it quite slow, so I actually find the drop-in wickets quite difficult to read. So that will be a bit of a challenge. Hopefully we'll draw on the local knowledge. Hopefully Finchy, and Cummins will know more about the Wicket. But you can get a bit of everything here.

Q. With the way that the team played in the Tri-Series and the series against South Africa before that, is there anything in terms of preparation you'd change now?
GEORGE BAILEY: No, I think it's been a really good preparation. Particularly, I think the practice games where we've had a lot of cricket. There could have been a tendency to take the foot off the pedal or cruise through those practice games, but I've been really impressed with the intensity and intent and the way we played. I think it's a continuation of the form we've shown you in the Tri-Series. And that shows the guys are ready and the guys are switched on.

Q. Teams leading into the tournament try to have a core group of players playing together again and again. But in Australia's case, the leadership, you, Clarke, JD and Steve Smith for many different reasons, what sort of impact does it have in the various leadership styles on the players?
GEORGE BAILEY: Hopefully they get a good grounding in everything. I don't think our One-Day leadership has changed that much over a long period of time. We should be reasonably settled with the way we want to play. As I mentioned, I don't think there is too much different that happens regardless whether Mike is captaining or I'm captaining. I certainly think we've had a group of players play so much cricket together that regardless of if Michael or I are saying something in front of the group, we still have a general idea of the direction we're going, the way we want to play and the way that we want to be seen as a team. So that doesn't change. The outcome hopefully will be the same as well.
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