Bird `confused` by Aussie selectors' demand for improved batting skills: Bailey

Johannesburg [South Africa], Nov.3 (ANI): Australian batsman George Bailey has revealed that fast bowler Jackson Bird is baffled by the reason he received for his omission from the ongoing first Test of the three-match series against South Africa at the WACA Ground. The 29-year-old was not picked for the opening Test on grounds that his batting skills were not better than that of Peter Siddle and uncapped Joe Mennie. Reflecting on the same, Bailey said Bird was not a batsman and has been in impressive bowling form in the Sheffield Shield for Tasmania. "He was pretty confused with the message he got, which I think was fair enough too. Because he was the only bowler who did particularly well for us and once again he was pretty much the lone bowler last week (in the Shield) that did the job that we needed him to do in that first innings and held it together," the Tasmania skipper was quoted, as saying by Sport24. However, Bailey believes Bird could earn his place back in the Australian squad if he keeps performing well with the ball. "For him getting back into the Australian side, he just needs to keep doing what he's been doing with the ball and, I don't know what the batting stuff is, but I'm sure someone will sort that out," he added. At the end of the first day's play of the opening Test, Australia had reached 105 for no loss after South Africa was bundled out for 242. (ANI)