Andrew Hilditch refuses to quit
Andrew Hilditch, the Chairman of selectors cricket Australia has shrugged off the calls for quitting his post after the team’s embarrassing defeat in the Ashes.
Hilditch, whose contract with Cricket http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 allows him to hold the office up till the World Cup, while giving a shut up call to his critics, said that he was not going to walk away himself. He said that the only way to hand over the responsibility to
someone else was an official call relieving him of his duties.
While having him at the helm of the affairs, this was perhaps the only Ashes which observed an inconsistent selection and instead of following a well worked upon strategy, the decisions looked like as if taken on ad-hoc basis.
For the entire series, the selectors used 17 players, and did not even hesitate trying ineffective players like Xavier Doherty and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Michael-Beer-c1949. Both of the spinners ended the series with an alarming average of beyond 100.
Brad Haddin, the Test wicketkeeper also joined the critics this week, regarding his exclusion into the T20 squad as odd. While expressing his disappointment, Haddin said that the chairman had not talked to him over the reasons amid which he was not considered
for the squad.
Hilditch, on the other hand, denied all the claims aired by Haddin. While addressing a press conference earlier on Tuesday, he reiterated the fact that he would not quit his job, and discussed why Tim Paine was included into the team at the cost of Haddin.
He said, “I’ve still got the same passion for everything I can give to Australian cricket. I only do it for one reason and that is because I love Australian cricket. I do the best job I possibly can as does the whole selection panel. It will be for someone
else to tell me when I’m not required.”
When asked to provide his view point over what Haddin had claimed, the chairman stated, “I don’t have anything to say about it really. I’ve spoken to Brad before he was omitted from the Twenty20 side about the reasons and they were the reasons. Time Paine
is someone we want to give more international experience to. I’ve said that Haddin is our best wicketkeeper-batsman but we want to have a look at Paine too. I spoke to him (Haddin) before he was omitted from the side, that’s all I can say.”
Hilditch was addressing the conference while announcing the squad for the upcoming seven-match ODI series against the visiting team from England. Giving room to further criticism, the selectors have announced the names of 14-member squad and that too for
the first match only, which is to be played in Melbourne on coming Monday.
Since the selectors still have the time to announce the 15-member squad for the World Cup, they are going to finalize their selection after observing the performance of the players in the first one-day match. In words of Hilditch, “two or three players to
finalise the squad,” which reflects that the selection for the remaining squad has already been made.
According to the sources, the players upon which the selectors still have to make a final decision include the fast bowlers Brett Lee and Shaun Tait. Both of them have been called up as they are currently in good form. Moreover, the veteran David Hussey,
who would be playing a match since his last appearance in ODI in August 2009, would strive hard to prove his worth to be included into the World Cup squad.
Interestingly, spinner Nathan Hauritz, who was included in the Ashes, would be joining the squad. However, players like Doherty, Callum Ferguson and Shaun Marsh will be probably missing out the event.
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