The history of Australian cricket is cycles of rebirth rather than a straight line.

To understand our current position, one must view it through the lens of the phoenix. Just as the bird emerges renewed from the flames, great eras of Australian dominance are preceded by periods of scorching heat.

Australia celebrate another Ashes series victory. But how long will this team remain together?Credit: Getty Images

This occurred in the late 1970s and mid-80s when World Series Cricket and the rebel tours reduced our domestic depth to ashes. We are in the furnace once more as a golden era of veterans prepares to depart. This leaves a void that only the boldest young talent can fill.

The end of this era should not cause concern. Australian cricket remains healthy. An exciting crop of young talent is coming through the system to form the core of the next great Australian teams.

In compiling this article, I have spoken with three state coaches and Tim Paine, who leads the Australia A program, to find out those who have identified themselves as players of the future.

Cricket Australia is exploring reshaping its development pathways to adapt to the changing landscape of the game. This evolution supports traditional male pathways and the developing women’s game.

CA aims to move away from a one-off championship to a multi-layered series, offering the best talent more competitive opportunities. The idea is for mainland states to play trials to choose their best team. An Allies team, to be selected from Tasmania and the territories, is being mooted to play in a Super Six tournament with the five states.

This move focuses on top-end talent. Red-ball cricket will be played internationally at under-19 level, and the best will continue to be stretched through the Australia A program.

The hotbed approach of getting the best young players together in a game environment cannot be underestimated. They will learn more from playing games than from the best-resourced coaching.

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