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Australia should invest in youth by adding blossoming players Chris Lynn, Nic Maddinson and Chadd Sayers to their host of veterans for next month’s Test tour of South Africa.
The Aussies are likely to select two backup batsmen and three reserve quicks in a probable 16-man squad for the tour.
Those spots should go to Lynn, Maddinson, Sayers, Jackson Bird and James Pattinson, with Tasmanian Alex Doolan taking George Bailey’s place at six in the batting order
With five of Australia’s top seven from the Ashes series aged 31 or older, it is imperative they begin to nurture potential young batting replacements.
Queenslander Lynn, 23-years-old, and New South Welshmen Maddinson, 22, were both teenage prodigies who have honed their games impressively since their early introductions to Sheffield Shield cricket.
Lynn was only 19 when he earned his first Shield cap in the 2009-10 season and Maddinson just 18 when he was blooded the following summer.
Both immediately announced themselves as tremendous talents.
In his first Shield innings, Maddinson carved 113 against South Australia.
Lynn, meanwhile, waited until his second Shield outing before compiling what was described at the time by cricinfo.com as a “chanceless” innings of 116 against Western Australia.
The right-hander, who bats at four for the Bulls, has made a scintillating return to first-class ranks this summer after an injury-plagued 2012-13 season.
He has reaped 570 runs at 71 in his six first-class matches and boasts an impressive career average of 43.
Lynn’s superb touch was also evident in the Ryobi Cup tournament when he was a key player in Queensland’s triumph, averaging 50 over seven games.
He has reminded the national selectors of the prodigious gifts which made him the most promising teenage batsman in the country three seasons ago.
He was first earmarked for higher honours in 2011.
Selected for the Australia A tour of Zimbabwe in June that year, Lynn had to withdraw because of a finger injury, opening the door for Matthew Wade to be called up.
Equally strong off the front or back foot, he possesses the type of well-rounded game necessary for success at Test level.
Importantly, Lynn has several gears to his batting.
He has the ability to blunt a rampant attack but is also a vicious striker of the ball who can flay bowlers when it is warranted.
It is this balance between attack and defence which Maddinson has needed to hone.
He has shown an improved temperament in the Shield this season and appears ready for the next level.
Since the start of last summer, the left hander has made 1474 first-class runs at 45.
On tours of Europe and Africa this year with Australia A he demonstrated his capacity to adapt to a range of surfaces and conditions.
In the second unofficial Test match between Australia A and South Africa A in August he twice shone amid poor batting displays from the Aussies.
Maddinson carved 88 out of a team total of 146 in the first innings and backed that up with 90 as Australia A folded for 277 in their second dig.
Those runs came against a strong South Africa A attack boasting highly-rated quicks Marchant de Lange and Kyle Abbott, who took 9-68 on Test debut last year.
Maddinson is also a versatile player, having batted anywhere from one to five in the order for New South Wales.
He and Lynn edged out fellow youngsters Jordan Silk, Joe Burns and Phil Hughes to make my 16-man squad.
Having only debuted for Tasmania ten months ago, Silk remains green and would draw greater benefit from getting another four or five Shield games under his belt rather than practising in the nets in South Africa.
Burns is enjoying a fine summer at the top of the order, as is Hughes.
The former was a lineball omission while the latter has had enough chances for the moment, having already had four stints in the Test side.
As far as the backup quicks were concerned, Pattinson and Bird are somewhat risky selections given they are both freshly returned from serious back injuries.
However, they have looked in great nick in the Big Bash League, for what that’s worth, and have the requisite pedigree.
Sayers, meanwhile, has been comfortably the best-performed bowler outside the Test side, with 81 first-class wickets at an average of 20 for South Australia and Australia A since the start of last summer.
Considering he is based on the flattest deck in the country at Adelaide Oval, his record is phenomenal.
I would make only one change to the starting XI, with Bailey’s frequently uncertain efforts against the English quicks seeing him forfeit his spot to the more compact Doolan.
The 28-year-old Doolan is better equipped to handle pace and has returned the solid figures of 1634 runs at 45 for Tasmania and Australia A over the past 15 months.
My Test squad for South Africa:
Starting XI:
1. David Warner
2. Chris Rogers
3. Shane Watson
4. Michael Clarke
5. Steve Smith
6. Alex Doolan
7. Brad Haddin
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Ryan Harris
10. Peter Siddle
11. Nathan Lyon
Reserves:
1. Chadd Sayers
2. James Pattinson
3. Jackson Bird
4. Nic Maddinson
5. Chris Lynn