Not the right time for chopping and changing Oz cricket squad: Hilditch

Melbourne, Dec.31 (ANI): Australia's chief cricket selector Andrew Hilditch has reiterated that the rebuilding process is progressing well and asserted that now was "not a time for chopping and changing" the squad despite the series loss to South Africa.

"I don't like testimonial Tests for anybody. He (Australian opener Mathew Hayden) is in the side because he is in our best Australian side. That is not an issue at all for our perspective. He deserves the opportunities he has been given. He is having a rough trot. He is having some issues with decisions not going his way, he has had some run-outs and it hasn't been an easy return from injury but we are really confident he will do the job for us in Sydney," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Hilditch, as saying.

"It's important he is given that opportunity because moving forward we would still want him very much to be part of our plans. He is very keen to score runs in Sydney and he is as disappointed as anybody that he hasn't had an impact on the series against South Africa but everyone is hoping that will change in Sydney," Hilditch added.

Hilditch said Hayden's position would be reviewed along with everyone else's after the current series and denied his career would be on the line in Sydney.

"It is not a time for chopping and changing a side. It is a time for supporting our young players as they come through. I have always said this rebuilding process comes down to senior players stepping up as Ricky [Ponting] did in this game," Hilditch said.

"If the senior players perform their role, we really are very pleased with how the young players who are coming in are going. Despite the results, which are obviously disappointing, we think the rebuilding process, that is obviously a difficult one, is going well," he added.

Hilditch has repeatedly challenged the senior players to stand up in order for a seamless introduction of young and inexperienced players, but with the exception of Ponting's two inspirational efforts with the bat in the Boxing Day Test the load has been left for too few to carry, with Hayden and Lee the most conspicuous underachievers.

Given Australia can no longer save the series, the Sydney Test could have been used to blood young New South Wales opener Phil Hughes or recall the experienced Chris Rogers to establish a new order for the tours of South Africa and England, but Hilditch said Australian cricket had been steadily regenerating over the past two years. (ANI)