Results suggest otherwise but an adamant chief selector Andrew Hilditch insists Australia's rebuilding process is going without any hiccup.
MELBOURNE: Results suggest otherwise but an adamant chief selector Andrew Hilditch insists Australia's rebuilding process is going without any hiccup and there was no need to go for wholesale chopping or changing.
"It is not a time for chopping and changing a side," Hilditch said after Australia hurtled to their first series defeat at home since 1992-93.
"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.
"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," Hilditch was quoted as saying in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hilditch also supported the decision to retain Matthew Hayden for the dead third and final Test in Sydney and refused to call it a testimonial Test for the out-of-form opener.
"I don't like testimonial Tests for anybody. He is in the side because he is in our best Australian side. That is not an issue at all for our perspective," he said.
"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," Hilditch said.
Also defending the decision to draft in an injured Andrew Symonds in the side, Hilditch said, "The reality is we got exposed because Brett Lee came down with injury."
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