Ashes 2019: Steve Waugh the perfect choice to replace Greg Chappell as national selector

Steve Waugh has made an immediate impact as a mentor to the Australian Ashes squad and shapes as the perfect replacement for national selector Greg Chappell when his tenure finishes at the end of the fifth Ashes Test.

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Steve Waugh’s name should shoot to the top of the list of potential replacements for national selector Greg Chappell when his tenure finishes at the end of the fifth Ashes Test.

Chappell, 71, announced earlier this year he would be stepping down from the three-man panel, which also includes chairman Trevor Hohns and Australian coach Justin Langer.

No decision has been made for Chappell’s successor with Cricket Australia’s new general manager of national teams, Ben Oliver, a role which oversees both men’s and women’s selection panels, still fresh in the job.

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Steve Waugh would be a great replacement for Greg Chappell as a national selector. Picture: Getty Images

Oliver took over the role vacated by Pat Howard in July as part of a CA shake-up which also included the appointment of Olympic gold medallist Drew Ginn to the national high performance team.

Waugh has made an immediate impact as part of the Australian Ashes squad after Langer, while the pair shared dinner in Sydney in January, asked his former Test captain to get involved.

Joining as team mentor, Waugh flew back to England for the Ashes sealing victory at Old Trafford, having missed the loss at Headingley, extending a commitment which originally was for only the first two Tests.

Australia’s series record with Waugh in the camp is two wins and a draw, with their only loss coming when the last man to captain an Ashes-winning team in England, until current skipper Tim Paine, had to fly home.

Steve Waugh joined the Ashes squad after being approached by coach Justin Langer. Picture: Getty Images

Waugh has a string of personal commitments which have prevented him taking any sort of ongoing role with the national side since his retirement.

But his enthusiasm has grown since joining the Ashes squad in Southampton in July, and Langer has lauded the effect he has had on the group.

“Guys like Punter [Ricky Ponting] and Steve Waugh, not only do they have a great presence in the group, but they are great psychologists,” Langer said after the second Test at Lord’s.

“They’ve been in the cauldron before, they’ve seen it all, so to have that those type of guys, we are talking about developing leadership in Australian cricket, to have our guys to learn from people of that calibre is very important short term.”

Steve Smith and the team enjoyed having Steve Waugh around the squad. Picture: Getty Images

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Waugh has worked unofficially with many players behind the scenes, and has first-hand knowledge of Australia’s emerging talent having watched his son, Austin, play with the Australian under 19 team.

The selection panel was reduced to three when Waugh’s brother Mark stood down in May last year. Chappell had been a selector in three separate stints, from 1984 to 1988, 2010 to 2011, and 2016 until this year.

Selectors have earned praise for several Ashes picks including breakout batsman Marnus Labuschagne, as well as the six-man fast bowling group who have been rotated in and out of the team during the first four Tests.