The outstanding domestic form of young Australian batting star Travis Head is helping alleviate fears the bottom could fall out of an ageing Test lineup.
South Australia’s Head leads a chasing pack of hopefuls ready to apply pressure to the Test team in the near future.
With five of Australia’s top seven already on the wrong side of 30, the time will come soon when a rejuvenation of the batting lineup is in order.
And whenever that happens, Callum Ferguson believes his Redbacks teammate is likely to be at the forefront of discussions.
A top order batsman with a compact technique and a love of the off-side, Head’s form in the first half of the Sheffield Shield season is demanding he be put down in the black book of Australia’s selectors.
The No.3 position that Head covets has not been a strength of Australian cricket since Ricky Ponting was moved down the order in 2011.
Current first drop Shane Watson has hit two centuries in his past four Tests in the position, but at 32 there are question marks over his long-term ownership of it.
It opens the door for a top-order specialist like 28-year-old Alex Doolan, fringe Test players Usman Khawaja and Phil Hughes or a left-field option like Head.
The 19-year-old has notched three scores in the 90s this summer, taking his career total to five without converting to a century.
And once that hurdle is cleared, big things are expected of the left-hander according to Ferguson.
“Over the last couple of years I’ve been witness to Travis and how destructive he can be,” Ferguson said.
“Coming in at three he’s a guy that takes the game on and moves the game forward.
“He has stood up in some very difficult circumstances throughout the season – his 98 (against Tasmania) a few games ago was something to behold.
“He hits the ball as cleanly as anyone around the country.
“I’d expect he’ll see higher honours further down the track.”
Baggy_Green
Roar Pro
Good times for Aussie cricket might just be coming back.. Consider this - 1. Bowling We already have a stackful of pace bowlers apart from the 3 musketeers of this Ashes series – Patto , Starc , Cummins , Bird , Hazlewood , NCN , Sayers. Lyon seems to have cemented his long term place now, though there are others that might break through like Agar, Zampa and Boyce 2. Keeping Now that Haddin seems to have settled his spot for the short to medium term, the battle of the keepers can go on in the Shield so that we have more clarity than what we have now regarding the next test keeper 3. Batting Think there is heaps of talent here , just look at the list - Doolan, Burns, Maddinson, Lynn , Head, Silk, Handscomb,Kurtis Patterson, Carters, Mitch Marsh, Whiteman, Marcus Harris What this series win has done is that it has brought a sense of stability to the side and has bought us a couple of years where the above names can gain in experience and stature playing in the shield. If we would have lost they would have been rushed in the side which would be of no good to them.
Disco
Roar Guru
It's called reflecting a multicultural society.
Bayman
Guest
Basil D'Oliviera, Douglas Jardine, Bob Woolmer, Nasser Hussain, John Jameson, Alan Lamb, Robin Smith, ChrisSmith, KS Duleepsinhji, Lord Harris, Freddie Brown, the Hollioake brothers, Graeme Hick, Derek Pringle, Geraint Jones.....the list is endless (almost). Among that lot, JGK, I'm not sure Tony Grieg would be the captain.
Bayman
Guest
'Plum' Warner, Andy Caddick
Johnno
Guest
David Lawrence, Gladstone Small,Chris Lewis,
JGK
Roar Guru
Possible England XI for non-England born players: Strauss Cowdrey Dexter KP Ranji T Greig (c) Prior (k) Gubby Allen De Freitas Edmonds Devon Malcolm
Ruminate
Roar Guru
Need to be sledging the hell out of Robson! The Poms poaching from South Africa Ireland, and the Caribbean is one thing... Would be interesting to see a "best ever" non English England side
dan ced
Guest
I really like Travis Head, has shown a lot of promise and is starting to show genuine form. I hope he gets his 1st first class century very soon.
Hunter
Guest
Would be interested to see an article on Australia's potential squad/side for 2015 ashes. Potential batsmen to be blooded in in the next few years depending on their FC progress - Silk Doolan Head Maddinson Harris Lynn Not to mention Hughes. Wicket keeper - surely we will stick with Wade who already has 2 test centuries, just needs to improve behind the stumps Spinner - let's do away with Fawad, Lyon is number one for next 10 years unless Agar or Zampa really turn on the heat. Quicks - I'm sure we all cannot wait to see Starc, Pattinson and Cummins all fit and firing in the same XI. What an attack that will be once they've got some experience. Backed up by the likes of Hazelwood and Sandhu. Despite some of the pessimism about the current aging team I actually think the youngsters we have could grow into a very, very, very good side. England beware! Poms are already recruiting the next batch of Saffers, Kiwis and even an Aussie (Sam Robson how could you!)
Tony Loedi
Roar Guru
Please selectors don't blood this kid before he is ready. Give him at least 3 or 4 consistent years in Shield first.
Casey Novak
Roar Rookie
Alot of good young cricketers coming through the ranks. You only have to look at the U19 Championships and U19 World cups to know that Australia has strong young talent coming trhough.
Lawrie
Guest
Seen a lot of this kid. The faith that has been put in him by Jamie Cox and Darren Berry is now starting to pay off Have every shot in the book and is now executing them rather well. Could be the first Tea Tree Gully lad to play for Australia! Fingers crossed
JGK
Roar Guru
He's the new Clem Hill.