George Bailey preparing to come back and have another crack for Tigers

Former Tigers skipper George Bailey will head into his 14th first-class season preparing for all three formats of the game.

George Bailey says he will be part of the Tigers line-up next season but is not sure in what capacity. Picture: AAP

FORMER Tigers skipper George Bailey will head into his 14th first-class season preparing for all three formats of the game.

Bailey, 36, has a year to run on his Hobart Hurricanes contract, but is out of contract with the Tigers and had his last season cut short by a serious shoulder injury suffered in the field of the Big Bash semi-final.

Cricket Tasmania has to lodge its first lot of contracts with Cricket Australia by Friday.

Bailey is yet to sign on, but said he would be part of the Tigers set-up in 2019-20.

George Bailey nurses his injured shoulder as he leaves the field during the Big Bash semi-final. Picture: AAP

“We are still working out to what capacity, but I’ll be about,” Bailey told the Mercury.

“That [Sheffield Shield] is what we have to work out.

“But I’ll prepare as if I’m going to play everything and then work out from there.

“[Cricket Tasmania] have been really good and said there is a contract there and are keen for me to be involved in all formats.

“Regardless of what I end up playing. I’ll prepare as though I’m going to play everything and then work out who’s available and who’s playing well and if you are keen and all those things.”

It seems certain Bailey, a former Australian 50-over and T20 skipper, will definitely play in the 50-over domestic competition, especially as it is likely to undertake a format revamp that will see it interwoven with the first half of the Shield competition.

“That [one-day competition] is a pretty good lead in to the Big Bash,” he said.

“It sounds like it is going to be structured a bit different.

“I think there will be a patch of that tournament style then a game a week leading into the Big Bash, based on that old Sheffield Shield-one-dayer system.”