Ashes the priority for Hilditch

Andrew Hilditch (pictured with Ricky Ponting) is gearing his energies to Australia winning back the Ashes © Getty Images

Andrew Hilditch will plough his energies into ensuring Australia regain the Ashes after being unveiled as the national team’s new chairman of selectors.

The former Test vice-captain replaces Trevor Hohns, who has stepped down from Cricket Australia’s national selection panel after 13 years at the helm.

Hilditch plans to continue the policy of rebuilding an ageing side, in which Brett Lee is the only player under 30.

“We’ve been regenerating the side slowly and trying to stay the number side in both forms of the game while rebuilding the side and that’s been a very successful process,” Hilditch said on Friday.

“I think we’ve done very well this year, we’re winning Test series, which is important, but also getting ready for the Ashes, it’s a focus we've had for some time and we think it’s going well.”

Hilditch played 18 Tests for Australia between 1979 and 1985 and has been a member of the panel for the past decade.

Mike Hussey, who averaged more than 64 in the recent 3-0 Test series whitewash of South Africa, welcomed the appointment of Hilditch and does not expect much change to the status quo in terms of the selection process.

“Andrew has been working as a selector anyway, so he’s been working very closely with the panel,” Hussey said.

“It will be a similar philosophy to the way selections have gone in the past.”

Hussey believes Cricket Australia have taken the right approach by promoting an existing selector given the recent surge of form - Australia has not lost a Test since the unsuccessful Ashes campaign last year - rather than seeking an outsider.

“I don’t see any reason to change too many of the personnel as we have been performing very well,” he said.

Hohns stepped down earlier in the week, citing increased business commitments as the reason behind his decision.