Cricket: NZ selection board under review

Changes could be in the wind for New Zealand Cricket's selection panel.

The squad to tour Sri Lanka in August-September is expected to be named next week, shortly before the New Zealand A team is chosen for a one-day tournament in Chennai, which overlaps the senior trip.

And to round off a busy period, another squad is to be selected for the 50-over Champions Trophy, in South Africa, which starts shortly after the tour of Sri Lanka ends.

The present panel, all former test players, comprises Glenn Turner, Dion Nash and John Wright, with Mark Greatbatch in an advisory capacity.

NZC cricket manager Geoff Allott confirmed a review of the panel is under way. Possible outcomes are an enlarging of the panel from three to four, a change in personnel, a tweaking of the structure or retaining the status quo.

One consideration is whether to add national coach Andy Moles to the panel. Moles has expressed an interest in becoming a selector.

"We have to make sure we're well planned in terms of the future," Allott said. "We've got to contain the investment we have in the selectors. We value their knowledge and certainly don't want to lose all the experience of the selectors."

For many years there was a policy, almost set in stone, that the panel members had to provide a geographical spread round the country. Allott doesn't go along with that.

"I believe it doesn't necessarily have to be governed by geographical locations, as long as the selectors are able to get around and watch the cricket they need to.

"It comes down to having the best people for the job," he said.

Allott said none of the selectors had indicated they did not want to continue. The review is expected to be completed in the next couple of weeks.