England selector to step down amid revamp

LONDON:

James Whitaker will leave his role as England’s chief national selector at the end of the month as part of a revamp of the team selection process, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday. Whitaker has been an England selector for 10 years and his departure is linked to the ECB’s introduction of a formalised scouting network to pick its test, Twenty20 and one-day sides. The system includes a three-strong selection panel consisting of Whitaker’s replacement as national selector, a full-time independent England selector and the England head coach. This panel will receive information on players from a team of designated disciplinespecific scouts in a bid to give selectors deeper insights into the available talent pool. “The new approach will allow us to see more players,” said England cricket director Andrew Strauss.

If found guilty, Rabada, who has 15 wickets at an average of 16.80 in the series, will miss the final two games after accumulating eight demerit points to trigger an automatic suspension.

Rabada was also slapped with a lesser level one charge on Monday for his exuberant celebrations when he dismissed David Warner in the second innings.

“It’s a disappointment for the series because you want to have your best players in the series,” said captain Du Plessis, suggesting he already knew the outcome of the hearing which is due to be made public later.

OUTSTANDING PERFORMER

The 22-year-old Rabada was the outstanding performer on Monday as he ripped through Australia, who started on 180-5 with a 41-run lead.

He completed figures of 6-54 and a match aggregate of 11-150,