Cricket Australia splits selection panel

Cricket Australia has appointed Trevor Hohns as chairman of selectors, but broken his panel into two separate groups.

Cricket Australia has unveiled an unprecedented overhaul of its selection panel, retaining the same four members while revamping their responsibilities.

Trevor Hohns, who has been acting as chairman of selectors since Rod Marsh's mid-summer resignation, will take the top job on a permanent basis.

There had been speculation Ricky Ponting, Steve Waugh and Jason Gillespie could be given the key post, but Hohns always loomed as the frontrunner and CA had no hesitation in contracting him until 2020.

Mark Waugh and Greg Chappell have signed deals that run until 2018.

However, Waugh will sit alongside coach Darren Lehmann on a two-man Twenty20 selection panel.

Chappell, who oversees Australia's next generation in his job as national talent manager, Hohns and Lehmann will call the shots on Test and ODI cricket.

Hohns' panel has blooded bolters Matt Renshaw, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Heazlett and Billy Stanlake in recent months, picking them on potential instead of performance at domestic level.

It's safe to expect more of the same, with Chappell's job description putting him in charge of "youth development for the Test and ODI side".

"Greg's obviously a very important part of our selection panel," Hohns said.

"We'll all be out there watching state cricket ... but Greg will have more intimate knowledge of these players coming through."

It has led to accusations that selectors have become ageist, are devaluing the Sheffield Shield and cheapening what it means to play for Australia.

All of which is rejected by Hohns, who was the on-duty selector in Pune and Bangalore but will pass the baton to Waugh for the third and fourth Tests.

"We're not about having a team full of under-23 players. That's a bit of a misperception," Hohns said.

"Experienced players are definitely not ruled out, so there's no need for anybody to be concerned about that.

"History has shown us that good teams develop over a period of time, but they develop because they've got players who play together and they're all of a similar age.

"That's what we're trying to do here."

It is Hohns' second stint in what is comfortably Cricket Australia's most scrutinised and criticised position. He oversaw a golden era of Australian cricket but was never afraid to make tough decisions, notably ending the careers of Ian Healy and Mark Waugh.

Hohns identified the advent of T20 cricket and heightened accountability as being the biggest change he'd noticed since returning to the panel.

"Calmness and a little bit of stability is important," he said.

"I relish that opportunity to hopefully help Australia get back to where they were some years ago.

"It will be challenging, but we do have some serious talent."


Share

3 min read

Published

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world