The Australian selectors have already shown a desire to look to the future this summer, and Joe Burns’ selection for the Boxing Day Test has reinforced their vision.
At 25 years of age, Burns is in the best form of his life and will get the opportunity to cement his place in a batting line up that still has much to prove.
While David Warner and Steve Smith are likely members of any World XI, Shaun Marsh, Shane Watson and to a lesser extent Chris Rogers continue to be on shaky ground.
If Burns out-bats Marsh in this Test the elder of the Marsh boys could find himself on the next plane back to Perth.
Burns is well placed to succeed at Test level, he is a born and bred Brisbane boy having attend St Joseph’s Nudgee College during high school. A proud member of the Northern Suburbs District Cricket Club Burns made his debut for Queensland in 2011 scoring 140* and 41 batting at number four.
Australian coach Darren Lehman suggested Burns can fill any position in the batting order and while he has registered his most successful season this year opening, expect to see him at five or six on Boxing Day.
One person that will be very keen to see Burns do well will be new Australian captain Steve Smith. Smith will be well aware of the fact that while he has a very capable brigade of bowlers at his disposal Australian batting stocks continue to be thin in the post-Ricky Ponting period.
Within the next two years it is likely Smith will see the retirements of batsmen Rogers, Michael Clarke and Watson. Filling this void will be a challenge but by giving Burns experience now it should allow him enough time to develop his game at Test level before those players exit.
Regardless of the outcome it was a good decision to bring in Burns, it would have been nonsensical to debut Adam Voges or bat Ed Cowan out of position, and while these two are certainly deserving of a chance Smith will be keen to blood his generation of players.
Personally I think Mr Burns will make Smith(ers) a very happy captain for the years ahead.
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