Chappell: Test slump will not continue

Experience of previous Australian cricket slumps has legendary batsman Greg Chappell insisting the current Test tailspin will be short-lived.

Now Cricket Australia’s national talent manager, Chappell is adamant there are good young players who will emerge in the not-too-distant future, despite complaints about the standard of Sheffield Shield cricket and the dearth of promising batsmen.

Australia have not won any of their last nine Tests and are coming off back-to-back 4-0 and 3-0 away losses to India and England respectively.

“I have no doubt it’s a cycle,” Chappell said in Sydney on Wednesday.

“I’ve lived long enough to see this four times in Australian cricket.

“At the end of a strong era you tend to go into decline for a few years, but each time we’ve done that we’ve come out of that decline much stronger.

“I have no doubt with the talent that I’m aware of around the country that it will only be a short while before Australian cricket is back where we want it to be.”

Australia’s batting lineup changed throughout the recent Ashes series and Chappell is an advocate of pick and stick – up to a point.

“That (pick and stick) is important, but equally you’ve got to be prepared to give opportunities to players,” Chappell said.

“Not everybody is going to grab hold of that opportunity straight away.

“I think if you look back through the history of Australian cricket, most of our great players who have come into the team, they’ve been dropped at some stage.

“I have no doubt that in the not-too-distant future we’ll see an Australian team that’s much stronger than what we’ve got at the moment.”

Chappell said he didn’t think there was much between England and Australia despite the lop-sided series scoreline and that things could turn around very quickly.

“I think we’ve got an emerging bowling attack that gives us great hope that within the next few years once the batsmen start to get a little bit of traction and a bit more experience, we’ll turn it around,” Chappell said.

“Whether we can do it in three months is a big ask, but it’s not impossible.”

Chappell on Wednesday helped unveil a new system of Community and Development Rookie Contracts, with two players signing on to each Big Bash League franchise.

The Community Rookie Contracts will go to players from rural communities, indigenous backgrounds, low socio-economic areas and people from non-English speaking backgrounds.

The Development Rookie Contracts will be awarded to players under 23 who are eligible to represent Australia or who are an approved Australian resident.