Hohns appointed selection chief

Australia

The Board of Cricket Australia has announced that Trevor Hohns has accepted the position of interim Chairman of Selectors.

Cricket Australia’s National Talent Manager, Greg Chappell, will also join the panel on an interim basis.

The Board held an extraordinary meeting yesterday evening, following the decision by Rod Marsh to stand down as full-time chairman, to confirm the changes.

Hohns holds a vast amount of selection experience, having been a national selector from 1993 to 2006, including 10 years as chairman of the panel.

From 2011, he was a selector for Queensland Cricket and its state talent manager, before rejoining the National Selection Panel in May 2014.

Hohns continued in his role as Queensland’s state talent manager but will now relinquish this to concentrate full-time on the National Selection Panel.

Cricket Australia’s Chairman, David Peever, said Mr Hohns had agreed to fulfil the duties of Chairman of Selectors on an interim basis, to enable a complete recruitment process to be conducted for the role and for the necessary continuity in the selection processes.

Peever said: “It is vital that Australian cricket finds the best candidate for this role. Trevor is highly experienced as a selector, and will ensure we place our best players on the field this summer while we seek a permanent replacement for Rod.”

Chappell has also been instrumental in developing the game. Shortly after his retirement from Test cricket, he was appointed a selector for the Australian team in 1984, and also became a member of the Australian Cricket Board.

He resigned from both position in mid-1988. Mr Chappell was re-appointed as a selector in 2010, and then in 2011 moved to the role of National Talent Manager, overseeing Cricket Australia’s Youth Pathway program.

Speaking on Mr Chappell’s appointment, Peever said: “Greg has been instrumental in restructuring our youth pathway program, driving the National Performance Squad, the introduction of a CA XI squad in the domestic one-day cup and creating clear pathways for talented youth in Australian cricket to aspire to wear the Baggy Green.

“His in-depth knowledge of up-and-coming talent in the Australian system will be invaluable.”

Whilst undertaking the interim position on the National Selection Panel, Chappell will relinquish his role as Cricket Australia’s National Talent Manager.

Peever said the Board also supported senior management and its ability to deliver Cricket Australia’s strategy.

He added: “Naturally the Board and our senior executive are disappointed with the recent Test performances, but we have every confidence that all those involved, including our coaching staff and team management, will do their utmost to turn that around.’’

The Board will now begin a process to identify permanent members of the National Selection Panel, with no deadline set to complete this.

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