Providing it doesn’t affect his television commitments, Mark Waugh would be the perfect replacement for John Inverarity if the current chairman of selectors decides to call it a day.
Inverarity, 70, has been chairman of the panel since October 2011, and his contract expires on June 30.
No doubt he will take all the credit for Australia returning to the world number one ranking in both Tests and ODIs, when the accolades must go to national coach and co-selector Darren Lehmann.
He’s the one who engineered the 5-0 Ashes win over England, and the 2-1 success over the previous world number one South Africa.
Lehmann will remain a selector in his capacity of national coach with former paceman Andy Bichel, leaving Rod Marsh to be elevated to the chair, in a major bonus.
But Mark Waugh is the story.
He does such a great job on television, where he’s a visionary and a clear thinker, and it’s in cricket’s best interests he stays in that role.
But if being a national selector doesn’t interfere with television, Waugh could have the best of both worlds and do cricket in Australia a power of good.
It’s also important that selecting Waugh shuts the door on former chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns making a comeback since his retirement in early 2006.
Better known as “Hatchet Hohns”, he ended the careers of Waugh, Michael Slater, and Ian Healy and stripped Steve Waugh of his ODI captaincy.
Australian cricket needs a hatchet man selector like a hole in the head.
With Marsh in the chair, and Bichel, Lehmann, and Waugh completing the panel, Australian cricket would be in the very best of hands.
But there’s still one part of the Argus Review that needs to be thrown out.
Michael Clarke resigned as a selector once he realised being both Australian captain and selector was untenable. That was one of three Argus suggestions that were wrong from the start.
Another was the rotation policy, that Lehmann dismantled that as soon as he took on the coaching job.
And the third was that the national selectors, apart from the chairman, would only be part-time.
In a job as expansive as being a national selector, where careers are in the mix, there’s no room for part-time selectors. It’s a full-time job.
So when Cricket Australia name the four-man panel, hopefully the governing body will correct the Argus Review’s part-time decision.
Praveen
Guest
Fantastic to see Waugh as selector, he will bring in good batting talent
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Very true. And it won't matter that said NSW product has a significantly better record than the person from their state they are claiming should have been selected instead, it will still be just because he was from NSW that he was picked.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
I'm guessing you don't have any family then, since you'd barely get to see them spending most of your time on the road, living out of a suitcase going cricket match to cricket match...
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
To do a really good job of selection you actually need to be seeing people play in person, not just checking the stats and a few highlight packages. So in reality, to do the best job of selection you would have selectors at every first class, List A and T20 game involving any remotely potential Aussie players. That's a lot of time commitment. Not just a summer job either as I'd suggest you'd want to be checking out the Aussie guys play in the IPL and County Season during the Australian off-season also. Without this you are just relying on second and third hand accounts or just looking through scoresheets without actually seeing them for yourself.
Deep Thinker
Guest
Not sure if I agree with this one. He seems to be a bit negative and doesn't seem to be much of a thinker.
Chopper
Guest
So playing Cricket for Australia requires no responsibility other than getting to the game on time ? I think most professional sportsman would take exception to your comment. Your first sentence would make sense if you said "Position of Authority" - but even then, I would say being a selector is more about identifying talent than leadership.
Josie
Guest
It feels like we're returning to the good old days of the 1980 and 1990's and the cricket culture of this time with the selection of Lehman Marsh and Waugh. We need to see some left field recuitment decisions and get some player/administrators that have sport and professional backgrounds broader than just cricket. My pick would be Ric Charlesworth to have an active role in cricket australia. He would bring about some sustainable cultural change and outcomes.
ak
Roar Guru
If are a cricket fan and watch the game to see your side win then given a choice to pick either S Waugh or M Waugh then without doubt S Waugh will be in the team. But if you are someone who watches cricket just to enjoy the game then M Waugh's batting was worth watching.
Gav
Guest
Great stuff Tim. I'm dubious on Waugh as a selector, but loved him as a player, I read his quotes on your blog, what a crack up.....absolute quality! We've been missing that approach in our cricket for years.
Gav
Guest
ES for every good call the Invers selection team made they also had their blunders. I'll throw the lack of support up for Lyon and the selection of Agar as one example......actually I read on the Roar that Marsh was the selector on duty when Agars selection occurred in England! Fair call on the Hohns selection era. No one liked it at the time, but history speaks
Francis Curro
Roar Pro
Yet he selected a team to win the 2013/14 ashes. He also gave guy a go, like smith.
Shouts Chen
Guest
James Brayshaw? He's an AFL Footy Show presenter as well as the North Melbourne Football Club Chairman. Michael Slater? He's an NRL Footy Show presenter as well as a Channel Nine Cricket Show presenter.
Sindhu Seven
Guest
Congrats Mark Waugh!!
Sindhu Seven
Guest
Congrats Mark Waugh!!
Cadfael
Roar Guru
The selectors have made some great calls. However, many of these came after Lehmann became a selector.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
The selectors have made some great calls. However, many of these came after Lehmann became a selector.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Haha, classic.
Paul D
Roar Guru
Haha, classic.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
I think Invers mistakenly thought he had to retire at 70 because Joe Hockey said
Professor Rosseforp
Guest
Mark Waugh was a great player and would have been a fantastic captain -- like Shane Warne. However, his involvement with betting whilst he was a player should put the kibosh on the idea involvement in selection. I notice from the above comments that it hasn't, and this shows a lack of judgement on someone's part in the process.