Auckland, Sep 10: Former Australian coach John Buchanan, who is the Director of Cricket for New Zealand Cricket (NZC), has defended the decision to appoint another Australian for a key role in New Zealand Cricket.

It comes after Kim Littlejohn was appointed as the national selector manager, who will be responsible for the selection of men's and women's squads from under-19s through to the Black Caps and White Ferns.

Littlejohn previously played and coached club cricket in Australia, then had high-performance roles in baseball and bowls. He joins other Aussie- assistant Black Caps coach Trent Woodhill and Black Caps bowling coach Damien Wright.

"Like any business you scout around your opposition and if you see something working well, that is where you go to get their IP (intellectual property) or borrow their people," stuff. co. nz quoted Buchanan, as saying.

"Australian cricket has for some time been doing some things well, not just in cricket, but in high performance, so naturally we gravitate there. I don't think the bias is Australian, the bias is looking where the things we need can be best located," he added.

Littlejohn's initial task will be to work with Wright to select the New Zealand squad for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe. (ANI)