‘I didn’t want to make it all about me’: Jake Weatherald on his path to an Ashes call-up | Sam Dalling

<p>The opener is in line for an Australia debut after twice taking time away from cricket to protect his mental health and piling on the runs for Tasmania</p><p>Jake Weatherald and Justin Galeotti travelled separately on the short journey from the coffee shop to the nets for their scheduled hit. They trained as usual and with Galeotti oblivious to the fact Weatherald had just fielded a life-altering phone call from Australia’s chair of selectors, George Bailey, telling him his baggy green dream had almost arrived. The uncapped Weatherald was in the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/nov/05/australia-ashes-squad-cricket-jake-weatherald-first-test-perth">15-player Ashes squad for the first Test</a>.</p><p>“It lasted about two minutes,” Weatherald says about the call with Bailey. “I didn’t want to bring it up [with Galeotti] because I felt like it would distract from the net session. I didn’t want to make it all about me. We’d have been talking about it the whole time and not training.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/nov/08/jake-weatherald-australia-ashes-call-up-i-didnt-want-to-make-it-all-about-me-">Continue reading...</a>