Australia’s fall from grace at Test level was bound to happen sooner rather than later with such an aging list. With the likes of Warne, McGrath, Gilchrist, the Waugh’s, Martyn, Hayden and Langer having gone recently, Australia have dropped down the Test rankings.
What Australia need to do is look at the future to regain the number one spot in Tests. Australia needs to look how they got there in the first place, by building over several years with young talent.
Instead, the selectors are opting with quick fix players that are 29 plus, with very solid records at first class level. But then they only have career spans of around 20 to 50 tests with steady records.
However, that does not help for the long haul.
Between 1995 and 2005, when Australia was at the peak of their powers, they had the same group of core players over a long period of time. You can’t have that with these ‘quick fix’ players: the likes of Hussey, North, Clark, and now Watson opening.
How Australia became so dominant in that period was giving young kids ago at the highest level and then developing them into the best in the world.
But now they see anything under 26 as being not ready at Test level, except for Phil Hughes.
It makes no sense considering Ponting’s debut was just prior to his 21st birthday, Hayden 22, Langer 22, Martyn just turned 21, Steve Waugh 20, Warne 22, McGrath 23, Gillespie 21, Lee 23 and Michael Clarke 23 – all of whom are some of Australia’s greatest ever cricketers.
Most of them barely played much first class cricket before their test debut’s. But yet it didn’t hinder their confidence or ability at the highest level.
Why doesn’t Australia emualate that great success with the likes of Callum Ferguson, Shaun Marsh, Cameron White and even Steve Smith? And that’s just to name a few.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.
As wife Alyssa Healy watches on, Mitchell Starc was back in form, taking three wickets in an over including the dangerous Tim David, to…
Joe Root was showing some brotherly love, giving his younger sibling Billy a chance in their county match.
Australia have reclaimed top spot in the ICC's Test rankings, replacing India. Despite not playing since winning 2-0 in New Zealand in March, Pat…
Yashasvi Jaiswal was looking comfortable at 67 off 40, until this moment when he hit the ball into his own stumps!
The Aussie made his 50 off 37 balls, for his fourth half-century of the season as his Sunrisers Hyderabad went on to beat Rajasthan…
Insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting different results. This quote is often attributed to Albert Einstein, but nobody knows if he…
