Nine Network's Cricket Producer Brad McNamara Takes Aim At Captain George Bailey

Australia's Nine Network Exec Producer of Cricket Brad McNamara said that without his network's "heavy financial commitment to Australian cricket," captain George Bailey might find himself "fliping burgers" for a living," according to the AAP. McNamara "sent down a bouncer of his own" following Bailey's attack on Nine a week earlier. Australia's selectors chose to rest players Michael Clarke, David Warner and Matthew Wade from the opening two games, "prompting criticism" from Nine Dir of Sport Steve Crawley. Bailey hit back on the eve of last Friday's opening game in Melbourne by "accusing Nine of making a tactical move to try to talk down one-day cricket during TV-rights negotiations." McNamara said, "Nowhere has Channel Nine ever talked the one-day game down, nowhere have we ever said this is a 'B team.'" He added, "It's rubbish, and George should stick to playing cricket and leave (TV) rights to the people who know what they're talking about. I reckon he's got his hands full as it is" (AAP, 1/17).