The Australian media has branded as 'miraculous' ODI captain George Bailey's transformation to a 'lock' for the winter Ashes series from the time when he was publicly ridiculed by 'flipping burgers in McDonald's' jibes.
Although Bailey's sparkling 156 against India in the ODIs, coming off the back of a series of big scores, has almost guaranteed him the one vacant Australian batting spot for the Ashes, there was a time when he was under siege with bullets coming at him from everywhere.
According to News.com.au, after Bailey publicly slammed Channel Nine, who were in the process of negotiating a rich new TV deal, for its criticism of an Australian 'B-team' lacking star power, Nine jibed that without the TV rights deal, Bailey would have been probably working in a coalmine or flipping burgers at McDonald's.
Despite that, and the numerous criticisms from cricketers and non-cricketers alike, the report said that Bailey has managed to keep his head down and his chin up and got his reward when he achieved his current average of 56.85 from 34 one-day matches, adding the fact that he thrives under pressure is an added bonus for Australia in the Ashes.
The report also said that sacked coach Mickey Arthur was perhaps Bailey's strongest supporter, who said that there is a separate, phenomenal category apart from batting and fielding ability for what Bailey brings to the group.