Regardless of the result of this current Ashes series, it’s time for the next generation to emerge in Australian Cricket.
As we all know, Steve Smith is the man to lead the emerging class of cricketing talent, and will be tasked with forming them into a dominate force over the next decade.
At the end of 2015 Ashes series, we will see the core of this team gone. Injury has meant Ryan Harris has already hung up the boots, whilst opener Chris Rogers is hitting the later stages of 30.
Shane Watson and Brad Haddin have been tapped on the shoulder by selectors, as Peter Siddle continues his struggle to regain his spot in the side.
Adam Voges has been given an opportunity and hasn’t grabbed it and at the age of 35 it could spell the end of his Test career. Additionally, Shaun Marsh has had multiple opportunities yet only seems to get big scores in meaningless tour matches.
Then there is Michael Clarke. A champion who has led the team well and one of the best batsmen of this generation. However, he is past his best.
Constant back injuries have taken their toll, and in this series he has looked a shadow of the batsman who dominated a few years ago. He is a champion and there is every chance he will prove me wrong, but I think his time has come.
It’s time to build a team under Steve Smith that can be dominate for a decade. When Test matches against New Zealand and the West Indies roll around this summer, Mitchell Johnson should be the only player over 30 in the team.
We have great fast bowling stocks. Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Johnson are all bowling well, whilst Pat Cummins, James Pattinson, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Jackson Bird, Jason Behrendorff, Sean Abbott and Ben Cutting are all waiting in the wings.
Nathan Lyon is doing a great job as a spinner, and if you took out Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, you would have a hard time finding an Australian Test spinner with a better record in the last 35 years.
The area that needs to be improved is batting.
Our top three will comprise David Warner and Steve Smith, with one spot open when Rogers retires. Positions 4 and 5 also need to be filled and Joe Burns, Marcus Stoinos and Chris Lynn are all 25 years of age and average over 40 in Shield cricket. They all averaged 52, 49 and 62 respectively last summer, with Burns already experiencing what it’s like to play Test cricket.
Behind them are Usman Khawaja, Cameron Bancroft, Nic Maddinson, Jordan Silk and a few others who have plenty of potential but need to step up and score consistently.
Wicket keeper
The spot is Peter Nevill’s to lose. He should lock it down and deserves his opportunity.
Chris Hartley has been a great keeper for Queensland, but is getting older and Nevill is better with the bat. In fact, Nevill could easily bat at number 6 for Australia.
All-rounder
Mitchell Marsh has this spot, however needs to perform consistently to keep it.
Despite his indiscretions, James Faulkner should not be ruled out, and if Marsh fails to perform, Faulkner would be a great number 7.
The one player I’ve left last to mention is Glenn Maxwell. On potential, he could be anything, but I think he needs a good season with the bat in shield cricket to average over 40 and prove he’s worth a spot.
A guy like Maxwell could easily bat at 6 in Test matches and be a backup spin option.
It’s a new generation for Australian cricket and if selectors are brave enough to move Clarke on and look to the next generation, we could have a very different looking XI come November at the Gabba versus the Kiwi’s.
My Test XI come November:
David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Steve Smith (c), Joe Burns, Chris Lynn, Peter Nevill, Mitchell Marsh, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
12th man: James Pattinson
CT
Guest
This is no doubt off topic. For some reason there no articles about our women who are also in England playing for the Ashes. So I am going to post something. In the two day warm up against an academy squad Our Southern Stars have warmed up for this week's Test match with a two day game against an England Academy side. The Stars scored 377 from 90 overs with Ellyse Perry, who is in imperious form, rattling off a ton along with Alex Blackwell. The academy girls managed 279 from 89 overs. All rounder Jess Jonaseen had a superb match with 3/15 off 11 plus 79 with the willow..
CT
Guest
BHT. The secret is do not keep rolling out roads. Mix the pitch characteristics. One a Indian turner. another a seaming English deck, a bouncy, hard deck as well. Our kids coming thru the system have to learn to play on all surfaces. Not just roads that my grandmother could get runs on.
CT
Guest
I think you will find that Shaun Marsh has not been as successful at opener as other positions. A West Aussie can confirm that maybe.
CT
Guest
James.You will find that a good number of the younger guys have toured before with NPS tours that CA introduced several years ago. One of the only decent things they have done.
CT
Guest
This victory in Chennai is a big shot in the arm for Aussie cricket. It proves that these development tours to the sub continent over the past 5 years are paying off. Hope down the track we can say the same thing about the dividends development tours to the UK have made.
CT
Guest
Spot on. This amost obsession CA has of holding on to has beens is not helping Australian cricket. There is no room for sentimentality in cricket.
CT
Guest
I also agree about Mitchell Starc. We want consistent bowlers in our best attack. Pattinson has also been known to leak runs. As has Cummins. I just think he has that something special over the others. When MJ goes I would have Cummins and Hazlewood opening the attack.
Peter Que
Guest
I just took a huge brownie guys
ajay
Guest
my point is-starc is rubbish with red ball in hand, big show is crap in test cricket and stoinis&lynn both are gun hard working guys. but lynn is toooooo young ,for selectors and so is stoinis ,35 perfect age for them. agreed?
Josh
Guest
I can watch your videos even in india. Hence these aren't geoblocked.
jamesb
Guest
Johnno So what your saying is Australia will only field a team of four or five players? With all of these players 'going', I don't see any replacements Johnno.
big bill
Guest
Great article! I would LOVE to see a new look young Aussie side however the selectors will stick to the same old boring XI as always Haddin will return Clarke will stay till he is a grey or the hair colour tonic runs out Watson will return We are a dying , rotting side who will slide down the rankings due to pathetic selectors sticking with ":DADS ARMY" Wake uop MArsh and Waugh! Wake up adn smell the defeat you have caused us!
Andy
Guest
I literally have no idea what you are writing about.
Steve
Guest
Pretty much the exact team I would pick, but with smith at 4 and burns at 3 due to his experience at opening, but yeah bancroft hitting 150 against india a on the back of a very good shield season is great
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
I think Australia can be very heartened by the way the Australia A team has outplayed a stacked India A side in both of the matches in Chennai. India A have had a lot of Test talent playing in those matches - Pujara, Kohli, Yadav, Aaron, Ohja... and the pitches have been absolutely dusty, a million miles from Australian conditions. Yet Australia A were easily the better side, breezing to a series win today with a 10-wicket win. O'Keefe, Sandhu, Bancroft, Stoinis, and Handscomb all made major contributions.
Johnno
Guest
Regeneration time: Looking at like this going forward Batters: Michael Clarke,Chris Rogers,Shane Watson,Adam Voges-gone Bowlers: Ryan Harris/Pete Siddle -gone Wicket-Keeper: Brad Haddin- gone Mitchel Johnson is 34, so he may be gone withing 1 year
Antim bhusal
Guest
Nope....you are absolutetly pointless in pointing that you can't launch a bunch of new generation at the same time...Marsh should get more chance at opener after Rogers retires leaving 4th and 5th to be filled by new batsmen after clarke and voges retire...I hope they both don't retire at the same time.. saun marsh could also be tested at 5th for now resting voges...we have obviously large number of successions for 4th and 5th in future, so that poses hardly any problem...I still think shane is still left with some potentials...peter nevill as a keeper..and bowlers don't throw problem at least 4 to 5 years...
Andy
Guest
Id call Ali world class as a batsman, especially a lower order one and Cook has looked good for them, his two dismissals this week were just a perfect delivery and the unluckiest dismissal. Broad i would call world class too, especially against Australia, he loves playing against us, his average is like 10 less against us than normal. Il be sad if we lose but not embarrassed, I think its us who have been hot and cold, apart from Rogers we have been pretty useless.
Andy
Guest
Nice article but i did chuckle a little at reading that you think Nevill is good enough to bat at 6 for Australia. Not because i disagree but because i think my mum is good enough to bat at 6 for Australia off their recent form haha.
Rob JM
Guest
Its a struggle to pick a combined 11 from these two teams!