One-day rotation 'dead and buried'

Net loss: the rotational policy contributed to Matthew Hayden's poor run © Getty Images Enlarge

Australia's controversial and disrupting one-day rotational policy is "dead and buried", according to the selector Allan Border. Border said the panel would choose the best team for each match after the strategic resting of players affected the side's VB Series continuity and contributed to Matthew Hayden's slump.

"As selectors we have to take a little bit of the blame," Border said on Inside Cricket. "I think the rotation has not worked. We've had a fair bit to do with it and we've taken a bit of flak for it, but I think it's dead and buried." Border said if players needed a break they would be rested, but not be rotated. "I just think, going forward, we pick our best side."

The policy was first used in 2001-02 when Australia missed the series finals, and Steve Waugh was dumped as one-day captain. This summer the top players were juggled in the six preliminary matches before the panel picked their A-list for the deciders, which included Michael Clarke as opener instead of Hayden.

Border said Hayden's 42 runs in four innings and the overall below-par batting were examples of the disruption. "Hayden and Gilchrist only batted together once in that one-day series and they've been a pretty good partnership over a number of years," he said. "From little things like that we didn't get a continuity of team. [Instead of] blokes knowing their roles and getting used to them, they were all over the place."

Border said Australia, who were yesterday confirmed to play the World XI in three one-day matches in October, would have to lift for the five-game series against New Zealand, the No. 2-ranked team. The first match is at Wellington on February 19.