OPINION
Australia’s cricket stocks are currently in a healthy position despite the struggle to find a long-term David Warner replacement. The Aussies are the reigning World Test Championship winners, reigning 50-over champions and reigning T20 World Cup champions. However, as Australia prepares for a blockbuster summer of cricket, which features a series against Pakistan and then a huge five-Test series against India, there is a sense that Australia’s period of cricket dominance is about to hit a rough patch sooner rather than later.
Currently, Australia is faced with one major headache – who will partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order – but there are many more decisions ahead in the years to come. For the longest time, the question was who should partner Warner at the top of the order as the likes of Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw all came into the Test side and failed.
Now it is thank goodness Australia still has Khawaja, who since coming back into the side in 2022 has averaged 53.41 and notched seven centuries in 29 Tests. But he doesn’t have many summers ahead of him at 37 years old and no one is screaming pick me at Sheffield Shield level. Bancroft, Harris and Renshaw have all had their chances at Test level and underperformed and none of them have made any substantial runs in this year’s Shield season to date.
Sam Konstas is not the answer to Australia’s opener problem
Then there’s youngster Sam Konstas, who by many accounts is firming as the favourite to win the opener spot after starting the Shield season with back-to-back centuries in the opening game against South Australia. But that would be a grave mistake.
In his most recent game against Victoria, Konstas made just 2 and 43. And a look into his previous Shield scores before his impressive display against South Australia hardly screamed pick me either. He posted scores of 57, 4, 26 and 35 in his only other four innings and a quick dive into how he has got out at Shield level and in the Under 19 World Cup shows he is very vulnerable to the inswinging new ball, a glaring issue that would be exploited with ease by India.
In the opening match of the U19 World Cup against Namibia in January, Konstas was bowled by Jack Brassell by an in-swinger. He then struggled against Sri Lanka and England, dismissed for 23 and 0 as teams worked out his deficiency to the ball moving in.
Such was his struggles combatting the new ball he was dropped down the order against the West Indies. He came to the crease in the fifth order at first drop and excelled – as the ball wasn’t doing as much – notching a fine 108 albeit courtesy of some pretty ordinary bowling. On the back of that display, Konstas was again promoted to opener for the semi-final against Pakistan where he once again failed, struggling to get his timing down with the moving ball.
He was put out of his misery for 14 off 31 balls as he was undone by, you guessed it, an inswinging delivery. The same ball then sent him packing in the final against India, out for a duck. So while at 19 there is plenty of time for him to develop, I would hate to think what Jasprit Bumrah with a new ball would do to the young New South Welshman.
Australia lack serious young Test options
Away from Konstas, Ricky Ponting declared youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk as the future for Australia in all forms of the game. However, while he is a hot T20 and ODI prospect, Test cricket is nothing more than a distant fantasy at the moment, with the 22-year-old not even able to crack South Australia’s shield side this season so far.
The other contender is Nathan McSweeney, who in my opinion is the best option. The South Australian captain would have to bat out of position to receive a baggy green but he will have his chance to shine for Australia A and is the best option of the current lot. McSweeney was South Australia’s leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield last summer with 762 runs at 40.10. He’s also started the 2024/25 campaign with scores of 55, 127*, 37 and 72.
Australia’s Test cricket side is seriously ageing
And while the immediate dilemma is who should partner Khawaja atop of the order, Andrew McDonald and George Bailey will have several other selection headaches to deal with in the coming summers. In Australia’s last Test side in March against New Zealand, only Cameron Green is under the age of 30.
Khawaja, Steve Smith and Nathan Lyon are all 35 or older and will likely only have a summer or two left. While Todd Murphy appears likely to replace Lyon when the time comes, filling the shoes of Khawaja and Smith is far more tricky.
The shortage of top-order batsman in Australia has become clearer than ever in the search for Warner’s replacement and away from Konstas and McSweeney there aren’t many other young options. By the time Smith and Khawaja retire, so likely will other opener options Bancroft, Harris and Renshaw.
And the issues don’t stop there with Australia facing a similar problem with its much-feared fast bowling unit of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood. Starc, 34, is the oldest of the trio and the most likely to retire first. The quick went from the pinnacle pace bowler in the world to one of the best in recent years, as his averages have slowly been on the decline.
While Hazlewood turns 35 this summer but is prolific as ever and Cummins, 31, should have at least a few years left in him. However, in saying that fast bowlers generally retire before specialist batsmen due to the increased toll bowling multiple high-intensity spells has on the body.
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So who is in the mix to replace them? Well much like the batting replacements, the standout options are in their 30s. Scott Boland and Michael Neser are the two clear contenders but are at the same stage of their careers as the aforementioned trio.
Jhye Richardson has performed at Test level so far taking 11 wickets at an average of 22.09 in his three games for Australia and is a viable option. While Victoria’s Fergus O’Neill, 23, has also impressed and is probably the most likely to be in line for a call-up when one of the quicks calls time on their career. But the reality is there aren’t too many players knocking down the door for a call-up. It means when the bulk of the current squad calls time on their respective careers, Australia could be in for a tough few years as a changing of the guard occurs. But in the meantime for this summer at least, enjoy the good times.
