In March 2007, Baird was called up by the national team despite sustaining a groin injury against Colchester United a week before. Baird missed two international matches as a result. Northern Ireland FA deemed it a failure to comply to call-up, thus invoked a FIFA rule which states that "any player who fails to comply with a call-up for whatever reason may not play for his club for the duration of the call-up plus one day," and Southampton would risk points deduction by playing him during the said period. Baird then made his 50th international cap on 25 March 2011 and was given a captaincy against Serbia. He was previously given a captaincy in August 2007 against Liechtenstein in a Euro 2008 qualifier.