Conventional one-day cricket is tired and in need of a spruce-up, Australian coach John Buchanan said today (Monday).

Speaking a day after his world champion Australian team had wrapped up its 13th triangular series in the past 16 years, Buchanan said: "I think it’s a tired old format, but that’s what the rules are and that’s what we play to.

"Until somebody changes the game then really it’s our duty to work out ways in which we can play better cricket within the existing format."

Buchanan said he did not believe 50-over cricket should be replaced with the new Twenty20 format, which is well established in England and has had several successful trials in Australia in recent weeks.

"It’s part of the overall package that encourages people to enjoy cricket, to understand the game a little bit. It’s a good part of the mix if used correctly."

He said Twenty20 cricket was ideal for bringing new people into the game.

"I think it provides some fun and excitement. It is a game that is condensed to a shorter period of time so I think that offers parents, families and clubs a real opportunity to encourage more people into the game."

Buchanan admitted that Australia had played "ugly" cricket in beating Pakistan 2-0 in the finals series which concluded last night.

"I think one thing we did do through the whole series was learn to play some ugly one day cricket.

"Everybody’s quite used to Australia dominating with the bat and then backing it up in the field with our defence, but I think this time it did show that while we didn’t dominate with the bat our defence was pretty high standard right throughout the tournament.

"Overall I would have thought our batting is an area that can do with some improvement."

Australia’s selectors will meet tomorrow to finalise the squad to be announced on Wednesday for the upcoming tour to New Zealand, in which it will play five one-day internationals and three Tests.

Buchanan said the squad would be picked with an eye to the Ashes tour later in the year and a longer view towards the World Cup in 2007.

"We are looking to develop a broad squad so we might have 20 plus players that selectors can pick from come World Cup 2007, which means we cover all our bases and positions.

"The other principle will be trying to understand how we want to better play the game, balance of sides, makeups of sides, the types of players we need to do that and the strategies we want."

Buchanan declined to speculate on whether 35-year-old Darren Lehmann would survive his recent patchy form, or whether out-of-sorts Test opener Matthew Hayden would play in both one-day and Test series on the other side of the Tasman.

"(Hayden) wants to be part of that Australian one-day side. I think basically his foundations are good ... he’s basically trying to deal with the mental side of his game."

Buchanan said Hayden was waiting for it all to come together in an innings which would help him correct things for himself.