Hilditch won’t quit as chairman of selectors

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Andrew Hilditch has confirmed he won’t volunteer to end his role as Australia’s chairman of selectors, and the only way he will leave the job is if he is sacked by Cricket Australia. Hilditch heads the four-man panel but is only a part-time selector, also working as a solicitor in Adelaide, and his contract with Cricket Australia expires after the World Cup.

Late last year, Greg Chappell took on the role as Australia’s national talent manager and full-time selector, which could have created an opportunity for Hilditch to step aside and focus on his legal career. However, despite Australia’s Ashes humiliation, and his own insistence that the selectors had done a good job, Hilditch remains keen to stay on after his contract ends.

Full story: ESPNcricinfo

 

Australia in crisis, but also in denial

Michael Clarke does not think Australian cricket is in crisis, but there can be no other description after what has happened over the past seven weeks. The elite game in the country has collapsed on and off the field during a record Ashes thrashing, from coaching and selection to more mundane matters like batting and bowling.

Despite all of this James Sutherland, the chief executive, is happy with the head coach, the selectors and the players – just not the result. Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, is not resigning and is pleased with the form of the four decision makers. “I think we’ve done a very good job as a selection panel, but the reality is we were totally out-played,” he said. He was being serious.

Full story: ESPNcricinfo

 

Khawaja called up as cover for Ponting

Usman-Khawaja

Ricky Ponting is expected to recover from his broken finger in time to lead Australia at the MCG on Boxing Day, but the selectors have included New South Wales batsman Usman Khawaja in the squad as a precautionary measure. Khawaja, who just turned 24, is uncapped and will join the team in Melbourne on Wednesday.

“While the NSP (national selection panel) are confident Ricky Ponting will be available for the Boxing Day Test, through an abundance of caution we have named Usman Khawaja as the standby player,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of the panel, said. “Usman richly deserves this opportunity following his excellent form at domestic level last season and continuing on this season.”

Full story: ESPNcricinfo

 

True Aussie cricket fans are hoping their team gets thrashed (via Cricketwise)

You know what? I’m now actively hoping (despite money  lost on cocky pre-series bets) that Australia get thrashed in this series. Because only then will this current crop of losers get booted out. And I’m not talking about the players here. I’m talking about these jokers called selectors. Greg Chappell stuffed things up nicely for India with his ‘Ganguly-gate’ cock-up, and now he’s doing the same to us. In the old days, selectors would go to Shie … Read More

via Cricketwise

Australian selectors face tough calls

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Replacing Simon Katich for the third Test is the easy part for Australia. Deciding what to do with the rest of the side in Perth is the difficult bit.

Marcus North, Xavier Doherty, Doug Bollinger and Peter Siddle will be wondering if they still have a spot when the squad is named on Friday. Ricky Ponting and Andrew Hilditch discussed the make-up of the unit after the innings loss in Adelaide on Tuesday and had to decide how many changes to make – and whether any of them would make a difference.

The simplest decision surrounds the new opener. Phillip Hughes, who scored 86 not out in his last Test in March, is the leading candidate to come in for Katich on December 16, while Usman Khawaja would also be a capable choice. Every other issue is much more murky.

Full story: CricInfo