Selectors not responsible for Ashes loss: Andrew Hilditch
Cricket http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746’s chairman of the selectors’ panel, Andrew Hilditch reckoned that the selection panel should not be blamed for Australia’s dismal performance in the 2010-11 Ashes series.
Hilditch exonerated himself of the blame saying that the selectors did a “very good job” in picking the teams for the five-match Ashes series.
He admitted that England were a better team and Australia failed to perform as a team and were “put aside on the paddock.”
Australia suffered their most humiliating Ashes run ever in history as England won the series 3-1. England defeated Australia by an innings and 87 runs in the fifth and final Test match on Friday. They not only retained the urn but also won the Ashes title
for the first time in twenty-four years on Australian soil.
Hilditch said that the English team had much more momentum than the Aussies during the series. Although Australia won the third Test in Perth but they lost their way as they slipped to another innings defeat in the fourth Boxing Test at Melbourne.
Hilditch refused to accept the blame for their selection decisions as the media pressed on whether he would admit any responsibility for the embarrassing result.
“I take responsibility for doing the best job I can possible do for Australian cricket,” he refuted, however he admitted that Australian cricket is going through a tough time.
Australia received a lot of outcry from the very beginning of the Ashes series when the selection panel named a large 17-man squad. The media and cricket enthusiasts criticised the home squad as the touring party had named a 16-man squad.
The squad was then trimmed down to 13 members. But the selection panel had a headache selecting the right eleven for every Test match. They made many changes for every game. Only the stand-in Captain Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326, Mike Hussey, Peter Siddle
and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin featured in all five matches.
Hilditch defended the switch of three spinners including debutant Xavier Doherty and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Michael-Beer-c1949 throughout the series.
“We went from apparently being a conservative selection group who didn’t make enough changes to a group to a group who made too many changes, and that happened in a day,” Hilditch conceded.
The selection panel was also criticised to leave out Nathan Hauritz from the series.
However, Hilditch stated that he along with fellow selectors David Boon, Greg Chappell and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Usman-Khawaja-c2729.
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