Darren Berry is furious Chadd Sayers won’t play in Adelaide

DARREN Berry has savaged the Australian selectors for overlooking this player for the third Test — and fears there’s bias at play.

Sayers just needs to keep taking wickets for the Redbacks.

FORMER Victorian wicket-keeper Darren Berry has lashed Australia’s selectors for leaving Chadd Sayers out of the starting XI to take on South Africa in the third Test in Adelaide.

Jackson Bird beat the South Australian quick for the final fast-bowling spot, and will compliment the new-ball pairing of Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.

Sayers was unlucky to miss out considering he knows the conditions at his home ground better than most, and has starred with the pink ball in a first-class career that has netted him 186 wickets in 47 matches.

Speaking on SEN radio on Thursday morning, Sayers’ ex-coach at South Australia Berry could not understand why the 29-year-old had been ignored.

“Chadd Sayers not being picked for the Adelaide test, with a pink ball — it’s going to swing around at night time — they’re never going to pick him,” Berry said.

“Two weeks ago they played a Shield game at the Adelaide Oval with a pink ball, South Australia vs Tasmania. Chadd Sayers 11 wickets, (Jackson) Bird two. Go figure.

“They’ve made the wrong call. Jackson Bird will come out and probably take wickets because he’s a good bowler, but did he deserve a chance ahead of Sayers? In my opinion, what a mistake they’ve made.”

Berry said a bias against shorter bowlers who don’t hit the 140km/h mark constantly played a part in Sayers’ omission, and feared his former pupil would never get near Australian colours again as speed aces Pat Cummins and James Pattinson — favoured by selectors because they can bowl serious heat — were on the comeback trail from injury.

“It would have been the 6’3 (Bird) vs the 5’11 (Sayers). Absolutely I do (think height had something to do with it). There is that stigma with Sayers — not tall enough, not fast enough,” he said. Sayers might now go from on the verge to maybe never.”

Bird will be hoping to cement his spot in the side.

Sayers will have to wait for his chance.

Bird and wicket-keeper Matt Wade return to the Australian fold, while batsmen Matt Renshaw, Peter Handscomb and Nic Maddinson will debut in Adelaide.

Berry wasn’t just fuming with the selectors’ decisions when it came to playing in the whites, either. On Wednesday Australia named its ODI squad to take on New Zealand next month, and there was no room for the leading run-scorer in the most recent Matador Cup (the domestic one-day competition), Victorian Cameron White.

“What’s the purpose of the Matador Cup? In that comp boys, the leading run-scorer by the length of the Flemington straight was Cameron White. Since then in Shield cricket he’s made 100 and 75 not-out. He is in career-best form. He’s 32, not 52. He’s in his prime, he’s worked his game out … he is primed and ready,” Berry fumed.

“Cameron White’s scored 20 first-class hundreds, he’s been around for 12 years, he’s the form player of the competition at the moment and he’s been the Matador Cup player of the series two years in a row. They’re picking a one-day side, they say we play the Matador to pick our one-day team, then why hasn’t he been picked?”

24-year-old Western Australian all-rounder Hilton Cartwright was called up the national squad for the first time, and further opportunities will be given to South Australian skipper Travis Head in the series against the Kiwis.

National Talent Manager Greg Chappell was made an interim selector in the wake of Rod Marsh’s sudden exit from the panel, and it’s no secret he favours youth over experience.

“This could be Greg Chappell’s fingerprints on this one you know. I reckon Greg’s fingers could be all over this one.

“If White’s missed out for generational change, it’s the wrong decision.”