Ryan Harris delivered a timely reminder of his form to Ricky Ponting as Queensland had Tasmania 4 for 120 at the end of a rain-interrupted first day

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2010Tasmania 4 for 120 (Cosgrove 41*, Harris 3-50) v Queensland

ScorecardRyan Harris has two Test caps and would love some more•Getty Images

Ryan Harris delivered a timely reminder of his form to Ricky Ponting as Queensland had Tasmania 4 for 120 at the end of a rain-interrupted first day. Ponting, who made a start with 32 in a rare Sheffield Shield appearance, was the only wicket Harris didn’t manage as he claimed 3 for 50 from 18 overs on a lively Bellerive Oval surface.However, Ponting got a close-up view of Harris’ recovery from knee surgery and will pass on his notes to the Australian selectors as they prepare for Monday’s announcement of the opening Ashes squad. Harris is an outside chance of rejoining the side, which he represented in two Tests this year before succumbing to the injury.Harris had Jon Wells lbw in the opening over and thought he had Ponting with an lbw appeal early in his innings. Ponting was dismissed instead by James Hopes when he edged to Chris Lynn at third slip after collecting five boundaries. The conditions were tricky for the locals, who were sent in, and Ponting will chase more batting practice for the Ashes in the second innings.Tasmania were 3 for 56 when Harris bowled George Bailey and he struck again after a three-hour rain delay, removing Ed Cowan (30) before bad light stopped play. Mark Cosgrove finished unbeaten on 41 while Travis Birt was 11. Queensland are desperate for a strong showing after being dismissed for 75 and 96 by New South Wales in their previous Shield match.

South Australia is fighting to make New South Wales bat again after hundreds to Peter Nevill and Nathan Hauritz put the hosts in a commanding position

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2010
ScorecardCallum Ferguson holds the key for South Australia after finishing unbeaten on 55•Getty Images

South Australia is fighting to make New South Wales bat again after hundreds to Peter Nevill and Nathan Hauritz put the hosts in a commanding position. The Blues declared after lunch at 8 for 461 and had the Redbacks 4 for 178 at stumps, still 95 behind with a day to play.Callum Ferguson delivered a timely reminder to the national selectors with 55 not out while Daniel Christian was unbeaten on 43 as the battling visitors finished with a promising stand of 76. South Australia were in trouble after Tom Moffat finished his first game with 0 and 11 after nicking Trent Copeland, while the captain Michael Klinger (9) was caught behind off Stuart Clark. Steven Smith picked up his first wicket when he had Tom Cooper stumped on 41 and also had Aiden Blizzard lbw for 3.It was much easier batting for New South Wales and Nevill, the wicketkeeper, gained his second Shield century. He collected 12 fours and a six and stormed from his half-century to his hundred in 38 balls.Nevill built on the work of Hauritz, who became the highest scoring nightwatchman in the competition. His 146, which ended when he edged Christian, overtook the 134 of Victoria’s Ray Jordon in 1963-64.

A round-up of the third day of the ninth round of Division One of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Dec-2010Aizaz Cheema, the fast bowler, bettered his first-innings bowling heroics, taking six wickets for 20 runs as Pakistan International Airlines crushed table-toppers Habib Bank by an innings in Faisalabad. Trailing by 141 runs, Habib Bank began poorly, losing Imran Farhat and Saleem Elahi cheaply to Anwar Ali. Cheema scythed through Habib Bank’s middle order after that, as he had done in the first innings. Habib Bank were shot out for 111 as only opener Shan Masood resisted with a patient 41. Cheema finished with match figures of 12 for 89, his third first-class ten-wicket haul.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited‘s Sohail Tanvir was the other bowler to take six wickets in their thrashing of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited by an innings at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Once Tanvir and his new-ball partner Mohammad Khalil had reduced SNGPL to 32 for 5 in their follow-on effort, there was no hope for them. Yasir Arafat (53) and Adil Raza (47) delayed the inevitable with an 84-run seventh-wicket partnership, but Tanvir was around. He bowled Arafat, Iftikhar Anjum did the same to Raza, and SNGPL soon caved in for 147. Raza Ali Dar (81) had stuck around in the morning but the trio of Tanvir, Anjum and Khalil were too much for SNGPL, who fell 20 short of avoiding the follow-on.A fighting, unbeaten half-century from Kashif Naved was not enough for Multan as they went down to Rawalpindi by 52 runs at the Bahawal Stadium in Bahawalpur. Starting the day on 93 for 6 in pursuit of 193, Multan lost Abdur Rauf early when he was caught behind off Rizwan Akbar for 5. Waqas Khan and Ahmed Raza soon followed, both falling to Akbar, but last man Tahir Maqsood defended doggedly for 50 minutes as Naved kept scoring runs at the other end. The pair added 29 to delay the inevitable before left-arm fast bowler Sadaf Hussain managed to get one through Maqsood’s defence to trap him lbw for a 23-ball duck, leaving Naved stranded on 62.Islamabad inched ahead of Karachi Blues at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad, bowling them out for 258, which left the home side needing 210 for a win. Several Karachi batsmen got starts, and all but one of the Islamabad bowlers got among the wickets. Asad Baig (37) and Murtaza Majeed (46) took Karachi to 76 for 1 but both fell to Fakhar Hussain’s seamers. Atif Ali made his second half-century of the match but wickets fell regularly at the other end. Hussain and Imad Wasim took three wickets apiece as Karachi subsided for 258. Islamabad reached eight for no loss at stumps.National Bank of Pakistan took charge against Water and Power Development Authority in Sialkot, taking a lead of 161 and then leaving WAPDA struggling on 93 for 4. Hammad Azam, the 19-year old Pakistan A batsman, remained unbeaten after reaching his maiden first-class hundred. Azam took NBP from 264 for 5 to 432, batting with the tail after Qaiser Abbas had fallen for 63. Mohammad Talha carried on from the first-innings, taking the first three WAPDA wickets to leave them reeling on 37 for 3. Aamer Sajjad (38) fought back briefly but fell late in the day as NBP finished on a high.

ESPNcricinfo previews the third ODI between Sri Lanka and West Indies at the SSC

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Feb-2011

Match Facts

February 6, SSC

Start time 09.30 (04:00 GMT)
Chris Gayle is yet to fire in the ODI series•AFP

Big Picture

It took three Tests and two ODIs for the rain-hit tour(s) to yield an outright result. The comprehensive win in the second ODI was a boost to Sri Lanka, affirming their superiority in home conditions, and a blemish for the visitors who had appeared to punch above their weight in the contests thus far.But the outcome of the three-match series is unlikely to leave either team too demoralised or too elated ahead of the World Cup. The series, which was rescheduled from December due to inclement weather, is much shorter than some of the series played by other teams in the World Cup build-up, and the first match was washed out after West Indies’ innings. Three matches, with the lurking rain, is not adequate preparation, but both teams can take positives from the little cricket that has been played. Upul Tharanga’s century, and disciplined bowling performances in each of the two games have been the positives for Sri Lanka, while West Indies will be relieved with Adrian Barath and Ramnaresh Sarwan striking form. Barath scored his first ODI century in the first match, while Sarwan got his first half-century since April last year in that game.With just a game left, the visitors would be aiming for more consistency in their batting. Chris Gayle and the Bravo brothers got starts in the second ODI but didn’t push on, while for Sri Lanka, their middle order still hasn’t been tested this series. The hosts remain favourites, but West Indies have shown spirit on this tour. To end it even, against a team formidable in home conditions, and under a new captain, would mark a significant first step ahead of the World Cup.

Form guide

(Last five completed games)
Sri Lanka: WLWWW
West Indies: LLLLL

Players to watch out for …

Chris Gayle: He sizzled in the Test series, scoring 333 in Galle, but has yet to take off in the ODIs. He warmed up with a fluent but brief innings in the second ODI, smacking four fours and a six, but he hasn’t got an ODI century since January 2009, and will want to prove he’s capable of playing a match-winning knock.Sri Lanka’s middle order: Thilan Samaraweera, Chamara Kapugedera, Angelo Mathews and Chamara Silva haven’t had a go this series, with the bat. It would be worth tweaking the batting line-up with Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene perhaps dropping down to give the others a shot in the middle.

Team news

Shivnarine Chanderpaul had missed the second game due to illness. If he’s back to strengthen the batting, West Indies could be forced to leave out a bowler.West Indies (probable): 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Adrian Barath, 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Ramnaresh Sarwan, 5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Kieron Pollard, 8 Darren Sammy (capt), 9 Carlton Baugh (wk), 10 Sulieman Benn, 11 Kemar Roach.Sri Lanka (probable): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 3 Chamara Kapugedera, 4 Thilan Samaraweera, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Mahela Jayawardene, 7 Kumar Sangakkara (capt and wk), 8 Rangana Herath, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Muttiah Muralitharan.

Quotes

“Kumar [Sangakkara] and Mahela [Jayawardene] should not be batting at No. 3 and 4. One of them has to come down to No. 5 to bolster the middle order. Maybe they should send [Chamara] Kapugedera up the order to No. 4.”

The spinners, led by Piyush Chawla, gave India a back-from-the-dead victory over Australia

The Bulletin by Siddarth Ravindran at the Chinnaswamy Stadium13-Feb-2011
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Piyush Chawla has given the Indian selectors plenty to think about with his performance against Australia•Getty Images

Indian fans who left the Chinnaswamy Stadium after watching Australia control the first 70 overs of the high-profile warm-up match on Sunday will be kicking themselves. An early finish seemed likely when Australia coasted to 116 for 1 in 21 overs after rolling over India for 214, and there was an early finish, but it was India who ran out victors as Australia lost their final nine wickets for 58 runs.A massive crowd befitting an actual World Cup game had turned up to cheer India, expecting much from the star-studded batting line-up, but it was the less-heralded spinners, led by Piyush Chawla, who gave them plenty to shout about. Chawla spun out four middle-order batsmen before Harbhajan Singh applied the finishing touches to a back-from-the-dead victory.Australia made a solid beginning to the chase as Shane Watson kick-started the innings with a bunch of boundaries. Ricky Ponting and Tim Paine then carried their side halfway to the target before things started to fall apart for Australia. Paine had lashed four fours in the first six overs but got bogged down after that, and fell trying to clear long-on, where Munaf Patel sprinted to his right to take a sharp catch. During the 67-run stand between Paine and Ponting, Chawla went for 22 runs in four overs.His second spell transformed the game. In his first over back – immediately after Paine was dismissed – Chawla had Michael Clarke playing-on for a duck. Four overs later, Cameron White chipped a legbeak to midwicket, and David Hussey picked up a golden duck, drawn forward by Chawla before being beaten by the turn. Australia had slid to 138 for 5, and the first Mexican wave of the day made its way around the ground as the fans found their voice again. Callum Ferguson probably had the worst time of the lot: in a nine-ball stay, he was nearly run-out, was dropped at first slip, inside-edged a drive to square leg, was beaten by a vicious turner from Chawla and finally nicked one to slip. Chawla’s second spell was 5-0-9-4, and it provided more questions for the Indian selectors.Harbhajan, who was off the field for a while, returned to remove Ponting through a quicksilver stumping from MS Dhoni, and the rest of the Australian batting folded. There was help for the spinners from the pitch but this was not the minefield the Australian batsmen made it seem.One consolation for Australia will be the gritty half-century from Ponting, in his first match since the Boxing Day Test. He began with a couple of Chinese cuts against the unlucky R Ashwin, who bowled far better than the scorecard indicates, but soon produced some convincing shots – an on-drive off Ashwin and a pull when Chawla dropped short. Even in a warm-up match, Ponting retained the intensity of old. Sreesanth had some advice for him after a delivery pushed out to cover, and added some more after a strident appeal for caught-behind on the next ball. Ponting wasn’t going to just ignore it; he walked up to Sreesanth and doled out some advice of his own. The innings itself wasn’t Ponting at his best, but he showed no signs of the finger trouble which sidelined him last month.The top scorer for India was also a player coming back from injury – Virender Sehwag, whose shoulder problem didn’t bother him during his half-century. He began with an effortless push past extra cover for four off a low full toss, but couldn’t provide his customary high-speed start since he was starved of strike: he faced only four deliveries in the first five overs. Sehwag was at his most attacking against Jason Krejza, skipping beyond leg and looking to cut four times in Krejza’s first over. He carved three fours off Krejza, and blasted him over long-off to reach his fifty, but the offspinner had his revenge by bowling Sehwag next ball.Before his dismissal Sehwag watched a procession of India’s specialist batsmen come and go, none of whom made big contributions. Gautam Gambhir never looked at ease in a short stay before edging to slip; Virat Kohli showed glimpses of class in his 21 before chopping John Hastings to backward point; Yuvraj Singh walked after an indecisive response to a bouncer – initially looking to sway out of the way before feathering the ball to the keeper; Dhoni was bowled for 11, prolonging his fallow spell in one-dayers.At 113 for 5, with the seniors dismissed, Suresh Raina had a chance to stake his World Cup claim by reviving the innings. He survived the short balls Australia fired at him initially but didn’t last very long, nicking Brett Lee as he attempted an on-the-up drive. Once again, it was left to Yusuf Pathan to ensure India put up a fight, and he did with an unusually patient 32 (after being 18 off 34 at one stage).India made it past 200 thanks to some late resistance from Ashwin and Ashish Nehra but Australia would have been happy with their bowling performance, barring the huge number of wides. Brett Lee was in top form, accurate and slipping in the bouncers and yorkers at pace; Krejza had a decent outing against batsmen looking to attack him, and even their lowest-profile bowler, Hastings, provided two significant breakthroughs.India’s batting, which is their strength, has one more chance to get it together, against New Zealand on Wednesday, when they will have the re-assuring presence of Sachin Tendulkar at the top of the order.

Match Timeline

Imran Tahir and Colin Ingram have both been added to the list of contracted South Africa players, while Albie Morkel was also given a one-year contract till May 2012

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Feb-2011A day after he produced the best bowling performance by a South Africa player on debut in a World Cup, Imran Tahir has been awarded a national contract by Cricket South Africa. Also joining the list of contracted players was Colin Ingram, the left-hand batsman who is part of South Africa’s World Cup squad but did not feature in Thursday’s game against West IndiesThe two players are part of a list of 20 who have been given one-year contracts starting from May 1. Only two players in South Africa’s current World Cup fifteen have not been given contracts: allrounder Faf du Plessis and wicketkeeper-batsman Morne van Wyk. Loots Bosman, Albie Morkel, Rusty Theron and Ryan McLaren were given contracts despite not having made the cut for the fifteen.The CSA can contract up to 22 players so there is the possibility of another couple of players being offered contracts at any point during the twelve-month period.du Plessis has played just one ODI for South Africa, while van Wyk has only played two in the last three years. The Pakistani-born legspinner Tahir was only granted South African citizenship in January, and giving him a contract underlines South Africa’s aim to make him an important part of their squad in all formats.Ingram is a highly-rated hard-hitting 25-year-old batsman, and though his one-day career so far has been up and down – some of which may be due to the fact that he has not batted in a settled position – a contract should give him some assurance of his place in South Africa’s setup. Overlooked for a contract was David Miller, another left-hand batsman who was given an ODI cap before Ingram, and made an impressive start to his international career only to fade away in the last few months, leading to his exclusion from the World Cup squad.In another announcement, the CSA chief Gerald Majola said the board was in well-advanced negotiations with the BCCI to grant icon status to future Test series between South Africa and India with the likelihood of either four or five Tests being played when the sides next meet.The India tour of South Africa in 2010-11, which included three Tests, a one-off Twenty20 international and five one-dayers, brought in record gate takings for the country. There are also plans, according to CSA, to stage an annual Twenty20 match between the two countries with a mix of cricket and entertainment. The venue for this match will alternate between South Africa and India.CSA’s contracted players from May 2011 to May 2012: Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla, Loots Bosman, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, Ryan McLaren, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Robbie Peterson, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn, Imran Tahir, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Niall O’Brien is doing his best to get younger brother Kevin a Twenty20 contract in England, and has been in touch with all 18 first-class counties

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2011Niall O’Brien is doing his best to get younger brother Kevin a Twenty20 contract in England, and has been in touch with all 18 first-class counties. O’Brien believes other domestic teams around the world could be interested in his brother, and expects him to be part of the player auction prior to next year’s edition of the IPL.”I’m looking after Kevin’s best interests now,” Niall, who already has a county contract with Northamptonshire, told . “At the moment I’m speaking to all the counties in the UK. If any want to get in touch, Kevin’s looking for a Twenty20 position for this summer. I have been in touch with all the counties but at the moment there’s nothing signed and sealed.”We’re trying to get him a deal in the UK first and foremost, but also speaking to teams around the world – in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa – and when the IPL comes up for auction next year his name will definitely be in the hat.”Kevin O’Brien had a brief spell with Nottinghamshire in 2009 but currently plays for Irish club side Railway Union. He shot to fame when he slammed a 50-ball hundred against England in Bangalore – the fastest in World Cup history – to set up a three-wicket win.”It was definitely Ireland’s innings of the tournament,” Niall said. “It was the best innings by an Irish player of all time, without a shadow of a doubt. It’s a record I can’t see being broken for a very, very long time.”From my point of view I was very proud to see my younger brother play such a fantastic knock. I’ve seen him play innings like that before against lesser opposition, but to do it against a team like England fresh off an Ashes victory was second to none and my parents were in the crowd as well, so very proud for the whole O’Brien family.”Niall playfully suggested that he wouldn’t relish the prospect of playing his brother and raised the possibility he might be able to secure a contract with Northants, but financial pressures at the club, which registered a pre-tax loss of £27,439 for the financial year ending September 30 2010, mean that’s unlikely.”If he’s playing in England, I’d rather have him on my team than play against him,” added O’Brien. “There’s nothing worse than coming up against him, if he’s playing for another county in our group, and beating us all round the park. Hopefully someone at Northants could come up with a few quid and sponsor four months’ cricket for us.””Kevin’s a super prospect,” head coach David Capel confirmed to . “The way he hit the ball in that innings there, most people would be interested in getting him involved in Twenty20. When you set your plans out, there’s a limited amount of resources we have financially. So while you never say never, at this stage we haven’t got any plans to say we can do that.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers in Mumbai

The Preview by Firdose Moonda13-May-2011

Match facts

Saturday, May 14, Mumbai
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)Mumbai, who seem uncomfortable chasing, could use the match as preparation for the play-offs•AFP

Big Picture

It’s not quite a case of top versus bottom, but its close enough. Mumbai Indians have been table-toppers for most of this IPL season while Deccan Chargers are the basement dwellers, and were the first to be knocked out of contention for the play-offs. Expectations of a mismatch are not unfounded and it will take a particularly poor performance from Mumbai or a supreme effort from Deccan for an upset to take place.Both situations have become reality once before in this edition of the tournament. Mumbai were bundled out for 87 to lose by 76 runs to Kings XI Punjab and Deccan were able to defend 129 against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. Nonetheless performances like these have been rare for either side and the difference in their form is as stark as this fact – Deccan have won as many matches as Mumbai have lost: three.More victories will do nothing for their cause but Deccan will want to go out having fought as much as they can. They will need their batting to improve significantly to achieve that. Their highest run-scorer is Kumar Sangakkara with 306 runs, and they don’t have a single batsman with an average over 28. It’s time for the likes of JP Duminy, Shikhar Dhawan and Bharat Chipli to step up. Against the dangerous Mumbai attack, which boasts Lasith Malinga, Munaf Patel and Harbhajan Singh, that will be a tough task.Mumbai have batting worries of their own, seeming to have problems with chasing targets. They will be expecting more from Kieron Pollard, who has been nothing more than a gentle giant. Even so, Ambati Rayudu’s continued and promising form will be pleasing and Mumbai will hope that with Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma, he can carry the line-up. The Deccan bowlers, while not as menacing as Mumbai’s, have put in a decent performance throughout the tournament, with Dale Steyn and Ishant Sharma leading the attack.

Form guide (most recent first)

Mumbai LWWWL (second in table)
Deccan LLLLW (tenth in table)

Team talk

It’s unlikely that Mumbai will fiddle with their combination too much after the success they have enjoyed this season. The only area of concern may be at the top, but with Davy Jacobs still nursing an injured thumb, Aiden Blizzard will probably keep his place.Deccan have the luxury of being able to experiment and may want to bring Cameron White back in as he is one of the names being mentioned as a possible captain when Sangakkara leaves. Daniel Christian has failed to impress and may get the chop.Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team Selector.

In the spotlight

Ambati Rayudu is only nine runs behind Sachin Tendulkar on the run-getters’ chart and has shown his desire to stay at the crease for as long as possible. His 59 off 39 balls against Delhi was his most convincing knock and he will want to prove his worth marshalling the middle order, especially after being ignored by the selectors for the West Indies tour.Pragyan Ojha was a purple cap holder in previous editions of the tournament and has 57 IPL wickets. He has only taken seven this season, but his hunger has not lessened. He enjoys a big stage and the match against Mumbai may just prove the occasion for him to excel.

Prime numbers

• Mumbai’s best scoring batsmen have been Tendulkar, Rayudu and Rohit Sharma. Andrew Symonds, who has scored the fourth-most number of runs for Mumbai, 127, is 160 runs behind Rohit
• Deccan have bowled out their opposition only once in 11 matches, but all three of their wins have come defending totals

The chatter

“We don’t mind losing from time to time. But the manner in which we lost the last game to King’s XI was disappointing. I think that has motivated the team. They are very keen to get that right and play better tomorrow.”

The offspinner Ashley Nurse is ready for what he has called the biggest match of his life, when India’s tour of the Caribbean kicks off with a Twenty20 international in Trinidad on Saturday

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jun-2011Ashley Nurse, the West Indies offspinner, is ready for what he has called the biggest match of his life, when India’s tour of the Caribbean kicks off with a Twenty20 international in Trinidad on Saturday. Nurse, 22, debuted against Pakistan in April but didn’t take a wicket, and he’s hoping to prove that he belongs at the international level.”From the moment I got the call I was switched on,” Nurse said. “For me this is a very big game. I see this as the biggest match of my life. I got a taste of what things are like when I played against Pakistan and I’m very eager to play against India.”I’ve been told that we will have a full house on Saturday and as a player you always like to showcase your skills in front of a full crowd. For me this is a chance to show what I have and help to win another match for West Indies.”It has been a rapid rise for Nurse, who has not yet played first-class cricket and has played only one List A match, back in 2007. However, he has impressed in the shortest format, with a pair of five-wicket hauls from only 11 Twenty20 matches. A year ago, Nurse was not even part of the Barbados side.”I’m looking to observe the basics and stick to my line and length when I get a chance to bowl,” he said. “I believe I can make a contribution with the bat so I’m taking my batting quite seriously. I’ve been doing a lot of work trying to hit the ball as straight as possible and keeping my shape.”I have been working very hard on my overall game and doing a lot of work on my fitness as well. I feel much fitter and stronger than I did when I played against Pakistan. I feel good about myself and I’m ready for Saturday.”West Indies will field a relatively inexperienced side in the match, with Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard unavailable because they did not qualify by playing in the Caribbean Twenty20 tournament. Chris Gayle has not been chosen, and the board wants him to meet with the selectors before he is considered for international duties again.

John Buchanan pushed for radical change to the New Zealand selection process because the old panel of part-time selectors had become “a bit of an anachronism”.

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jun-2011John Buchanan, the New Zealand director of cricket, has said he pushed for radical change to the selection process because the old panel of part-time selectors had become “a bit of an anachronism”.NZC has done away with the national selection panel, replacing it with a full-time national selection manager who will deliberate with the team coach John Wright on all matters of choosing teams. Mark Greatbatch will hold the role in a caretaker capacity until the prime candidate is found.Buchanan, leaning heavily on his experience as coach of the Australian team between 1999 and 2007, said he had found the system of part-time panellists did not gel readily with a fully professional environment.”I’ve always found it’s very difficult to have part-time people – albeit well-meaning people who understand the game – being involved in full-time sport. I think that’s a bit of an anachronism,” Buchanan told the .”Because it’s new, it does challenge tradition. I was able to run those arguments past a range of people and everybody had their various views, but it received solid support. In the end, like any system, we’ve got to get the right person, then make it work.”Buchanan’s ideas did not always meet with a warm response during his time in Australia, and his assertion that the team coach should have a greater final say on selection than the captain is guaranteed to raise old hackles.”There’s no question the head coach and captain must have a very close working relationship,” he said. “Beyond that it’s very clear to me the head coach needs to make the final decisions. Sometimes the captain, as a player, may be one of the persons who has to be removed.”It’s very difficult to place the captain in that role and also in the role of selecting other people that they’ve then got to walk out on the field with.”Appointed to the director’s job in April, Buchanan has made it plain that he wants New Zealand to develop a reputation for progressive thinking on the game.”I think NZC has a great capacity to do things in advance of everybody else,” he said. “This is one of the first steps towards changing a little of the way NZC goes about what it does, becomes a little bolder. What we operate with now, is it the best, can it be better? The selection system is our first toe in the water.”