Former Australian fast bowler and senior administrator Tony Dodemaide will join the men’s ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Selection Panel (NSP) alongside Chair George Bailey and Head Coach Justin Langer.
Dodemaide played 10 Test matches and 24 ODIs for Australia as well as 93 Sheffield Shield games for Victoria before turning to administration as MCC Head of Cricket at Lord’s, CEO of Western Australian Cricket and then the long-term boss of Cricket Victoria.
As Cricket Victoria CEO he led the redevelopment of Victorian cricket’s home at Junction Oval, turning the historic facility and home of the St Kilda Cricket Club into a world class venue for playing, training and administering the game in the state.
He is currently General Manager of Hockey One, the new elite national competition for Australian hockey. He will step down from that position to join the NSP in mid-November prior to the home Vodafone Ashes series.
Ben Oliver, Cricket Australia’s Executive General Manager of High Performance and ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾ Teams, welcomed Dodemaide’s return to Australian cricket.
“Tony led a field of very strong candidates and we are thrilled to have him join the NSP at an important and exciting period for the Australian men’s team.
“He is an ideal fit for the selector role at this time and brings skills and experience that will complement George and Justin while adding value to the team and high performance area more broadly.”
Dodemaide expressed excitement on his appointment.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a contribution not only in the immediate tournaments and series but also to help chart the medium to longer term course of the Australian men’s teams,” Dodemaide said.
“I can’t wait to offer my experience in cricket as a player and in management to assist George (Bailey) and JL (Langer) but also the wider Australian cricket high performance network.
“Throughout my cricket journey I have often been close to high performance and selection, so I feel well suited to and prepared for this role.”
Dodemaide said his time in hockey was valuable and would benefit his new role.
“I very much enjoyed the opportunity to work in hockey, another great and respected Australian sport, after many years in the cricket system. To experience first-hand how other sports operate brings new perspective and learnings to the table.
“Like any system, high performance sport, including list management and selection, is always evolving. I believe cricket can tap further into other sports and be a world leader in these areas.”
Dodemaide was part of one of Victoria’s most memorable eras as a player alongside team-mates including Merv Hughes and Dean Jones before he returned as CEO. He also played County Cricket for Sussex before his posts in administration and management.
The bowling all-rounder took 6-58 in his first Test match against New Zealand while scoring a half century on debut.
