But a former player has questioned whether the process was just a public relations exercise.
Former Otago seamer Warren McSkimming and former Otago rugby coach Steve Martin joined a new-look selection panel with coach Rob Walter this season.
Martin's role was to set the agenda and make sure the process was followed.
McSkimming was appointed as someone who had the cricketing knowledge to challenge the coach on selection issues.
The changes were made following a post-season review report which recommended appointing two independent selectors.
Otago Cricket Association performance and talent manager Simon Forde said the feedback he had received had been positive.
"It actually formed quite an important part of [this season's] review," Forde said.
"The feedback we've had from players and the people who have been involved in the selection process has been really, really positive.
"The process around selections are very clear to the players. The role of each selector is also really clear. And the people we've got in place have proven to be really, really good.
"It has been a good challenging robust process that they have gone through to select teams, so we see it as a real genuine success of the season."
However, from the outside the feedback has not been entirely positive. A former player, who spoke in confidence, felt the process was more about placating players than it was about making meaningful changes to the way the team is selected.
He felt unless you attended plenty of the games then you were unlikely to be able to make a meaningful contribution to selection meetings. That meant the coach was basically making all the big selection calls, and the independent selectors were irrelevant, he said.
Forde acknowledged the system was not perfect. It was not reasonable to expect volunteers to always be available.
"We are never going to have fulltime people in the role and have them travelling with the team. We have to be realistic.
"We've wanted to put this type of selection process in for some time because I think it shows that there is independence in the decisions which are being made.
"I see real value in having that independence there. It is certainly not to placate players.
"But it has helped with clarity for players around selection and non-selection."
Forde said he would like to see the selection system rolled out at other levels, including for the Sparks and Otago A.
