Started a thread earlier in the Ashes Series forum but I'm happy to go with this one! Better spot anyway....
This is how I would structure it - at least for the moment. Processes will take far longer to plan.
Director of Cricket - Allan Border
National Development Manager - Rod Marsh
Selection Panel:
Chairman - Greg Chappell
John Benaud
Shane Warne
Stuart Law
Ashley Giles
National Talent Manager - Kiran More
Head Coach Centre of Excellence - Troy Cooley
Fielding Coach - Mike Young
Batting Coach - Dene Hills
Spinners Coach - Abdul Qadir and Saqlain Mushtaq (part time)
Fast Bowling Coach - Dennis Lillee and Wasim Akram (part time)
National Coach - Steve Rixon
Consultant/Assistant Coach - Bob Simpson
Team Manager - Darren Lehmann
Batting Coach - Justin Langer
Fast Bowling Coach - Dennis Lillee and Wasim Akram (part time)
Spin Bowling Coach - Abdul Qadir and Saqlain Mushtaq (part time)
Fielding Coach - Paul Collingwood
Fitness Coach - not sure. Would like to see some outside the box thinking here. Such as a Nordic Skiing coach or a triathlon coach given their levels of fitness.
I'd like Allan Border to set the direction for Australian Cricket. He is tough, uncompromising and has a good cricket brain. Just what we need.
Rod Marsh to serve as the National Development Manager. This role is to identify areas for the development of cricket, such as new local teams and areas, funding allocations, investment into academies and coaches etc etc.
Selection panel is varied in it's experience but quite strong I think. Chappell hasn't really seen anything he has implemented through, and as such I would keep him for the next 3 - 5 years. Benaud has been critical of the current bunch of selectors for a long time, and was part of the group that brought us Shane Warne and his peers. Judging by his comments about Hauritz, who he called "a bit pedestrian", it would seem he wants winners and quality not average players in the side. Get him in there! Warne and Law are both just retired from Australian cricket, and both have good cricket brains. Ashley Giles brings an outsiders perspective and was part of the group that reinvented England.
The National Talent Manager position is now Kiran More's, leaving Chappell to focus purely on the national side. Kiran More was one of the main characters who removed a lot of the old, politically attached players and the established players from the Indian side and reinvented them into the best side in world cricket. Such as Ganguly. He is just the guy we need to restructure Australian cricket. He's THE priority signing in my opinion. His role will be to work as the middle man between the selection panel, the Centre of Excellence and the State sides.
Selection of the side will be based on a vote system, with the selection panel, coach, captain and National Talent Manager all getting one vote each for a total of eight votes. To avoid ties, members will alternate with one member having two votes each game to use as and when needed. For example, it might be the coach who has two votes while the rest have one one game, then the next game it might be a member of the selection panel with two.
Coach is Steve Rixon. Often regarded as the best coach never to coach Australia, I think he is just the man for the job. He's experienced, old school and successful. Nielsen got picked over him, so him being appointed might just be a chance for him to exact cold, sweet revenge. I'd like him to be assisted by Bob Simpson who can act as a consultant as and when needed. That's two old school, highly respected and hugely successful coaches leading the way. There is still the modern influences from others, but it's back to basics here.
The rest is pretty self explanatory. Two part time spin and two part time quicks coaches - one to work with the leggies one for the offies; one for the lefties one for the righties. Three of them are foreign for more outside perspective. Lillee is supposedly the best fast bowling coach in the world, while Akram is meant to be no slouch either. Justin Langer to stay as batting coach until the next Ashes for some continuity, along with Young and Cooley who are regarded extremely highly in cricketing circles, strength and conditioning coach to be from outside of cricket, but with an emphasis on fitness. We may not be the most technically gifted team around but we will be the fittest team around. Kind of like South Africa in 1995 in the Rugby World Cup. Cooley and Langer might be controversial to fans, but if the cricketing minds that be think they are the best then you employ the best. Fans don't count in this case as it's not them who has being coached by them and as such their opinions don't matter. When the players and non players say the same thing you listen. Besides, coaches can only teach you so much. It's the players that have to execute it. Collingwood to be the full time national fielding coach with support from Young as needed. Lots of coaches. That's a problem for some but I think we have forgotten the basics. They need to be taught how to play cricket again. Hire the best and train the sh*t out of them. Just like Bob Simpson did.
I know there will be some conjecture about foreigners being part of the group, but I think that's a really narrow minded view to have in my opinion. Almost every successful team in the world employs not just locals but foreigners to do the job. Hire the best guys available. Some will also say that you lose patriotism having foreigners. That's crap. If the players for our national side have no heart or passion for this country and are using this as a free meal ticket then they shouldn't be playing. If the foreigners undermine us sack them and drag their names through the mud. Also they may not want to base themselves in Australia. Fine. You start with the best guys around, find out if they are interested and then move on when they aren't. Pretty simple huh? I planned for that anyway by having a second coach, larger selection panel and the like.
These names are only hypotheticals and I have no real say anyway... But that's what I want. Happy to discuss.