Cricket Australia played it safe and on Friday promoted Andrew Hilditch, a 10-year veteran of its national selectors team, to replace Trevor Hohns as the panel's chairman.
The promotion of Hilditch, a former Test opener and vice captain of the national team, defied calls for some new blood in the much-criticised selectors panel before Australia tries to regain the Ashes from England next season.
Hilditch, 49, has served on the panel since 1996, the year Hohns became the chairman.
Hohns announced his retirement on Tuesday, saying he needed to devote more time to his sports wholesale business.
But the long-time chairman had been under growing criticism over a series of selection choices, notably failing to use spinner Stuart MacGill and batsman Michael Hussey during last year's Ashes series, which Australia lost for the first time in 16 years.
Hohns' sudden resignation sparked calls for the Cricket Australia board to bring someone new in to run the selector's panel, with suggested candidates including Test great and former England selector Rod Marsh.
Other contenders included South Australian captain and former Test batsman Darren Lehman, 36, long-time first class coach Steve Rixon, 52, and Victorian Dean Jones.
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