Besides the upcoming challenge at home against India in the Border Gavaskar Trophy and a tough last stretch expected in the race to qualify for the World Test Championship final, Australia coach Andrew McDonald is aware of the fact that the current ODI and Test world champions will soon hit a transition phase. He is planning for that with what he calls “future-proofing”.
McDonald’s contract has recently been extended until 2027, and he is focused on implementing a gradual generational change, with the current Test squad’s average age hovering at 33.
On that note, captain Pat Cummins’ might lead a playing eleven against India in the opening Test at Perth where every player is above 30 years of age, if either Marcus Harris or Cameron Bancroft get the one vacant opening slot.
The eminent exodus of some of the seniors in the coming years reminds of the period in late 2000s when stalwarts like Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist and Brett Lee ended their international careers in succession.
McDonald is cognizant of the challenges posed by a senior team and has begun planning for the transition phase.
“People take it back to 2007 when mass players have exited and they’ve struggled to obviously perform at the same level – we’re not beholden to the past,” McDonald said while talking to reporters.
“I think if you get the selections right on the back of players exiting, then the transition is a lot smoother.”
He considers 50-over cricket helps in grooming players for Test cricket, as some of the leading names of the red-ball format are rested for bilateral white-ball series — allowing youngsters to showcase their skills in top-flight cricket. However, McDonald feels it still takes time to make significant changes in the Test set-up.
“Our mindset is always about…future-proofing in the team. We’ve had opportunities in bilateral (white-ball) series to expose that next generation,” said the Australian coach.
“Test cricket has been slightly different, we have been really settled and almost predictable in the way that we have gone about it. That’s not a bad thing…we’re number one in the Test rankings. It’s very hard to change a settled team that’s performing really well.”
Australia currently have seven seasoned players in their mid-thirties, with ages ranging from 33 to 37 years old.
Three players — Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey — are 33 years of age, while Mitchell Starc is 34, Steve Smith is 35, Nathan Lyon is 36 and Usman Khawaja is the eldest at 37.
“It’s about making sure that we don’t exit senior players too soon and lose that knowledge within that playing group. That’s incredibly important for us to get that balance right,” McDonald said.
Australia will open their international home summer with a series of ODIs and T20Is against Pakistan, which will be follwed by five Tests against India beginning November 22.