New Tigers coach sets up selection shootout

NEW Tigers coach Adam Griffith’s mantra of performance has been introduced even before the first practice game.

The Tigers will head to Mooloolaba for their annual pre-season tour in a fortnight with a merit-based squad of 16, with Griffith stating he was still unsure of his best XI.

“We are not taking a full squad to Mooloolaba. We are only taking 16 players and we want to make that a selectionbased process,” Griffith said.

“It is not just a given that everyone is going to go.

“It is actually a big thing for us for a player to get on the preseason tour.

“I’m excited to see what they can do up there and then once we see them play we’ll get a better idea of where they sit and, as

I’ve said all along, those guys who have taken wickets and made runs will get the opportunity.”

The Tigers announced their squad for the 2017-18 season with Matthew Wade, Nick Buchanan, Tom Rogers, Charlie Wakim and rookies Aaron

Summers and Liam Devlin the new additions.

Hamish Kingston, Cameron Wheatley, Ryan Lees, Dom Michael and retired Xavier Doherty are no longer on the list.

Wade returns to his home state after a decade in Victoria, rising to Bushrangers captain and Australia’s incumbent Test wicketkeeper.

He will bring much-needed leadership and backbone to a previously brittle Tigers lineup, but Griffith was quick not to put too much pressure on the feisty gloveman and said it was unsure at this stage if he would be a vice-captain to skipper George Bailey.

“He didn’t want to be seen as the saviour type if you will,” Griffith said.

“He just wanted to come down and play his cricket and that’s what I want him to do.

“It is our job as the coaching group and the leadership group to drive the players and I want him to just perform as best he can.”

Wakim is a top or middleorder batsman from NSW, Rogers is a bowling all-rounder from the ACT who was the Futures League player of the year last season, Summers is a quick from WA returning to cricket after a crack at football, and Devlin is a young batsman from Clarence.

Griffith also had high hopes for Buchanan — the son of former Australian coach John — a 26-year-old fast-medium bowler who has played for the Brisbane Heat and the Australian under-19s team but has battled continuity because of injuries.

“Nick Buchanan has been touted for a while as someone who has got the potential to go to the next level but hasn’t been able to get on the park a lot,” Griffith said. “We actually think he’s in the sweet spot age wise and his body is going OK.

“He played some more cricket last year. We are excited to see what he can do with the ball in particular.”