Border back as national selector

Allan Border has ended his one-year retirement from the Australian selection panel and will replace the former chairman Trevor Hohns, who resigned in April. Border left the group before the 2005 Ashes to focus on his increasing media commitments, but when Hohns departed with more than a decade of experience Cricket Australia needed someone with similar skills.

"I have always loved working as a selector and only stood down because of other time constraints," Border, who first joined the panel in 1998, said. "My circumstances have now changed and I am very happy to make myself available."

"I reckon I was involved as a selector at a very good period for Australian cricket with so many top quality players," he told The Age. "It's probably going to be a more challenging time going forward."

"A lot of players know me and I suppose they will respect my advice if it comes to that," he said in reference to younger players being selected into the national team if its older stars didnt perform well. "I'm not looking forward to those sort of conversations, but it's part of the role you take on."

Border, the fourth selector, links up again with Andrew Hilditch, the new chairman, and David Boon while Merv Hughes was appointed as Border's original replacement. Hilditch said he was pleased when Border nominated for the position. "We worked together well under Hohns and with Boon and Hughes we have a quartet of expertise and experience that completely understands Australian cricket, the demands of the Test and one-day arena and is completely committed to ensuring the ongoing success of the Australian cricket team."

But Border said that it was hard to rope in younger figures into the selection committee, like Mark Waugh and Damien Fleming, who have said that they are not prepared to take on the job. "It's a very time-consuming role and you're watching a lot of cricket at a lesser level. A lot of the guys now are financially stable, they've got other opportunities in the business world to pursue.

Border holds a kitbag full of records for Australia, including captaining the side for 93 consecutive matches. He figured in 156 Tests and 273 ODIs between 1978 and 1994 and also held the post of Australia A coach after he retired from playing.