South Africa name Henry as new head of selectors

Omar Henry, South Africa's first black Test cricketer, will head the national team's new panel of selectors, the United Cricket Board (UCB) announced on Wednesday.

The UCB said it hoped the 50-year-old's appointment as convenor of the committee would help "take South African cricket forward" after the majority of the former panel were sacked following the team's capitulation to Australia last season.

Haroon Lorgat is the only member to retain his seat on the panel, which also includes Pat Symcox, Hugh Page and Douglas Maku.

Henry has resigned from his job as Boland coach to take up his new position.

"I believe my cricket thinking is in line with most people who have played international cricket and I look forward to serving the sport I love in this position," Henry was quoted as saying in a UCB statement.

"I think the panel itself is a fantastic mixture -- there is a lot of great knowledge and I believe we can all complement each other in taking South African cricket forward to where we all want it to be."

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Former off-spinner Symcox played 20 Tests. Page, Lorgat and Maku played first class cricket during South Africa's 22-year isolation from the international arena in the apartheid era.

Lorgat was the only survivor from the previous committee, which featured Graeme Pollock, Mike Procter, Peter Bacela, Morris Garda and convenor Rushdi Magiet.

Procter withdrew from the panel after being appointed an International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee.

The rest of the members were removed in the wake of South Africa losing five of six Test matches and eight of 11 one-day internationals against the Australians.

"I am proud to announce this panel and believe that in Omar we have someone who fits perfectly the profile that we would want for a convenor of national selectors," UCB chief executive Gerald Majola said in the statement.

Henry played three Tests as an orthodox left arm spinner. In 123 first class matches, he took 434 wickets at 24.97 with a best analysis of seven for 22.

Mail Cricket Editor