did not win a cap. He subsequently had to wait until 2012 to make his international debut. When he did, he did so as captain of the Australian national Twenty20 team, succeeding Cameron White prior to the two match series against India, which ended 1–1. He became the second ever Australian to captain an international game, without having played an international game before, after Dave Gregory in the first ever Test match. When he walked out as leader for the T20 at Sydney's Stadium Australia and the match at the MCG, Bailey was in charge of a new-look side. The fast-bowling allrounder James Faulkner was on his debut, the batsman Travis Birt had earned a recall nearly two years after his last international appearance and Brad Hogg had returned after retiring in 2008. There had been criticism over his appointment. Bailey's highest score in the shortest format at the time of his appointment had been 60 and he had made only one T20 half-century in the previous three seasons, but he said batting at No.5 opportunities were often limited. He led Australia to victory in his first game. He presided over a 31-run defeat of India in his first match promoting Matthew Wade to the opener's post where he scored 72 . In second match of the series Australia lost the match and series was levelled. He made some hasty decisions such as sending Matthew Wade at No. 6 given the fact that in the first match he had opened and made 72. He still contributed with 32 and his opening replacement Aaron Finch top-scored with 36, but Shaun Marsh at first drop failed to score and the batting was weakened with the allrounders Daniel Christian and James Faulkner left out. He was named in ODI the squad for the West Indies tour. As a result of an injury to Australian captain Michael Clarke, he was included in the first ODI of the series and Bailey top scored with 48 runs in Australia's 204 for 8. He was third highest run scorer in the series with 172 runs behind Kieron Pollard and Michael Hussey. He also scored his first half-century. During a T20 series against West Indies, he scored 45 runs in two matches. Like the India series, the West Indies series was ended in tie. Australia won the first match by 8 wickets but lost the second match by