Cricket: Hilditch wants to stay on

Australia's beleaguered chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch says the only way he'll leave his post is to be sacked.

Hilditch, a selector since 1996, said he wanted his contract extended when it expired in April.

"I have still got the same passion for everything I can give to Australian cricket, I only do it for one reason and that is I love Australian cricket," he said yesterday.

"I'm trying to do the best job I possibly can, as is the whole selection panel.

"So it will be for someone else to tell me when I'm not required."

Hilditch, chairman of the selection panel since 2006, also denied that he had not told wicketkeeper Brad Haddin the reasons for his T20 dumping.

Haddin described the move as "odd" given Hilditch rated him the best gloveman in all three forms of cricket.

And the wicketkeeper's manager Peter Lovitt said selectors had not discussed the axing with his client.

"I spoke to Brad before he was omitted from the Twenty20 side and I gave him the reasons," Hilditch said.

In the wake of the Ashes loss to England, Hilditch maintained his selection panel had "done a very good job" in a comment met with derision in some quarters.

"To the extent that someone thinks that we're not disappointed with the result, I'm disappointed those comments were taken that way," Hilditch said.

"The reality is nobody could be more disappointed than the national selection panel.

"We picked what we thought was a squad capable of winning the Ashes and it wasn't capable of winning the Ashes, so that is disappointing."

Injury-prone fast bowlers Brett Lee and Shaun Tait have been named in Australia's one-day squad, raising their hopes of a World Cup berth.

Lee and Tait, who are both returning from injuries, were included in a 14-man squad for Sunday's one-dayer against England at the MCG.

The 15-man World Cup squad will be announced on January 19 with Hilditch saying both quicks are in the frame for the tournament in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh starting next month.

Hilditch said the balance of the World Cup squad "will probably be very much reflected in the team we have just announced" for the first of seven one-day fixtures against England.

"But we are still looking at two or three people ahead of that final 15 selection.

"I don't want to be specific, obviously we know the areas we need to be looking at ahead of the final selection."

Hilditch said Tait and Lee were "both looking extremely fit at the moment".

"Obviously Taity has only had limited bowling coming back but it's all going really well. He's probably fitter than he has been in his life," he said of the South Australian spearhead just returned from a three-month layoff after elbow surgery.

"But obviously the elbow is an issue.

"It seems to be going really well so obviously we're looking at that over the next couple of Twenty20s and the one-day game to make sure he's at his best, but all the signs are positive.

"Brett has had a longer lead-in from injury and obviously we're looking at him ... to make sure that he's back to his best."

The 14-man squad will be captained by Michael Clarke in the absence of the injured Ricky Ponting.

AUSTRALIA SQUAD

Michael Clarke (capt), Cameron White (v-capt), Doug Bollinger, Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Peter Siddle, Steve Smith, Shaun Tait, Shane Watson.

- AAP