Ackerman up for selection panel

Hylton Ackerman, head coach of the Plascon Academy, has been added to the list of nominations for the national selection panel.

Widely regarded as one of the best judges of a cricketer in South Africa, Ackerman was coach of Boland until last season. His dismissal prompted a near revolt by the Boland players. He was nominated for the selection panel by Eastern Province.

A stylish left-hander, Ackerman played for Border (for whom he scored a century while still a schoolboy against MJK Smith's 1964/65 MCC team), Western Province and Northamptonshire. His career coincided with the great South African teams in the late 1960s and to the surprise of many he never won a Test cap. He did play for a Rest of the World XI in Australia, though, as South Africa slipped into isolation.

Remarkably, Ackerman played for South African Schools for five successive years, from 1962-1966.

The new national selection panel will be elected at the United Cricket Board's annual meeting on Saturday.

The full list of nominations for the panel is: G Pollock, SK Reddy, M Procter, M Khan, G Allie, R Majiet, M Garda, B Skjoldhammer, G Majola, H Ackerman. The final panel will consist of six members.