Monday, August 23, 2010

Greg Chappell to be National Talent Manager

Cricket Australia (CA) has appointed Australian cricket legend and current Centre of Excellence (COE) Head Coach Greg Chappell as its first National Talent Manager (NTM), a role which will see him become Australian cricket's first full-time selector.

Chappell, who played 87 Tests and 74 One Day Internationals for Australia, will give up his current role as the Head Coach of COE in Brisbane and move to Melbourne for the new role.

CA General Manager Cricket Michael Brown said he was delighted that a person like Chappel, who has a vast depth of experience and expertise in elite cricket, will be taking on the new role.

"We began a detailed review of our cricket pathway program more than four years ago and this appointment is the final step in that comprehensive process," Mr Brown said.

"Greg will work closely with the State cricket talent development managers and with the national selectors in a system that now gives us a tightly integrated, national talent identification and management system across all Australian cricket.

"A well-defined national pathway which has all of Australian elite cricket pulling in one direction in the interests of our international performance is critically important in what is becoming a steadily more competitive international cricket environment."

Mr Brown also said CA would start recruiting a replacement head coach immediately for the COE.

With Chappell becoming a full-time selector, he will fulfill another important role as being the National Selection Panel communication point for players, coaches and other cricket stakeholders such as the media.

Chappell said: "I am really excited by the challenge of this new role - from a talent management point of view, this will be an exciting period for Australian cricket.

"I have enjoyed the COE Head Coach role as I was able to work with a talented group of coaches and support staff to assist and develop the next generation of Australian cricketers. The new role dovetails beautifully for me as they will be the immediate future of Australian cricket."

He expects to take up the new role as soon as the current COE program debriefing of state cricket associations is finished within the next month.

Andrew Hilditch will continue to chair the National Selection Panel (NSP) and Chappell will join as one of its four members.

Among his other cricketing laurels, Greg Chappell was also inducted in to the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame in 2002.

Cricbuzz

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