We have selectors with agendas, says former Test opener Cowan
Former Test opener Ed Cowan says there needs to be an overhaul to Australian cricket's national selection panel, with more current or recently retired players involved in the process.
Key points:
- Ed Cowan says Australia should model its national cricket selection panel on England's, using out-of-contention players
- Cowan says the likes of George Bailey and Cameron White should be on the selection panel
- Comes as Nathan Coulter-Nile questions his omission from Australia's ODI side in a World Cup year
Australia's current selection panel consists of Trevor Hohns, national coach Justin Langer, and former Australian captain Greg Chappell.
Speaking on ABC Grandstand on day four of the fourth Test against India, Cowan said he wanted to see something similar to England's selection panel, which appointed recently retired batsman James Taylor as a selector last July.
"I hope there is an overhaul," Cowan said.
"They [England] have a chief selector and one other off-sider of which is James Taylor — a recently retired player who knows each and every player in the county system inside and out.
"Their mental ability, their technical ability, their skills, what they bring into teams. At the moment, we're almost two generations past that.
"The demands of the game are changing, and at the moment I think we've got selectors with agendas."
Cowan believes Australia cricket would benefit from having players not in selection contention as part of the panel.
"Cameron White should be a national selector. I said that to [former high performance coach] Pat Howard last year," he said.
"George Bailey should be a national selector. Or one of those two, who are not going to play international cricket again, but they have their finger so close to the pulse.
"They're on the field the whole time, they're seeing things and they're smart enough and they're interested enough to not have the natural bias towards people in their team.
"I think we miss a trick by appointing two people well and truly out of the game."
Coulter-Nile questions his omission from ODI team
Cowan's comments followed criticism from dumped paceman Nathan Coulter-Nile, who said the communication regarding his non-selection in the upcoming One Day series against India was "poor".
"I didn't take [the news] the best, to be honest," Coulter-Nile told ABC Radio.
"I think it was communicated to me really poorly."
In naming the 14-man squad for the three-match series, Hohns said the 31-year-old wasn't picked on the advice of medical staff after experiencing back pain.
"I won't go into it, but I don't think soreness is really any excuse for not playing cricket," Coulter-Nile said.
"In fairness, I hadn't had a [back] scan yet. I had had back soreness and back history, but I hadn't had a scan to see what was wrong. I had one when I got home and it was all clear."
Coulter-Nile played in the Perth Scorchers' loss to the Brisbane Heat on Saturday night, and finished with figures of 3-25.
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