Former Australian Test coach Darren Lehmann believes chief selector George Bailey needs to distance himself from the players to make uninfluenced decisions.

With a growing trend of cricketers voicing their preferred retirement plan well in advance, Lehmann suspects Bailey is affording too much grace to senior players.

Speaking on ABC Radio during the third Test, Lehmann recalled how when he was tapped on the shoulder by then-chief selector Trevor Hohns at the end of his playing career.

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He had replied: “Thanks very much, it took you too long. I’m too old, you’ve got to move on. Shane Watson is going to be a superstar.

“Dead set. I was too old to be playing at that level. I wasn’t sharp enough to face bowlers of 150km per hour.”

The discussion comes as veteran opener Usman Khawaja turns 38 on Wednesday and is in a lean trot of form, failing to fire in the first three games against India.

The left-hander is under pressure after an underwhelming start to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series and appears to be no longer indispensable for Australia.

Khawaja has scored just 55 runs across the opening three Tests and has reached 50 in only one of his past 17 innings for the national team.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Khawaja said he planned to play until next summer’s home Ashes “if everything is going well”.

His former opening partner, David Warner, similarly tempted fate by stumbling towards his pre-arranged final Test match for Australia last January.

Nathan Lyon has also stated his intent to play on until the 2027 Ashes tour after a calf injury cruelled his series last year but is already in his mid-30s.

Lehmann feels that many of Australia’s established players, himself included, play on for too long because selectors “aren’t strong enough” to axe them for younger options.

“I just knew that I was too old. I knew that and these guys are now pushing 38,” he said.

“They can’t see it because they’re loving it, they want to play for a long time but the next generation — what is the next generation? What are we doing?

“How are we bringing these new players in? Selectors have to be a little bit stronger.”

Lehmann would like to see Bailey detach himself from the team rather than participate in net sessions and warm-up routines as he so often does.

“In my opinion, [Bailey] is too close to the team,” the ex-coach said.

“I would like him sitting up in a selector’s box somewhere, watching and making his own decisions. He likes it that way and that’s OK but my preference is the other way — for a selector to be able to make decisions and deliver a hard message.

“You can’t do that sometimes if you’re too close. You actually get too emotional and care about the players. Sometimes you get too close and you forget about what’s out there.”

Bailey spent time playing for Australia with the likes of Khawaja, Steve Smith and Mitch Star before retiring in 2019.