Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood, Boland, then who? The looming crisis facing Australian cricket

Or perhaps we should ask “Hello ... is there anybody out there?’’

However you shape the narrative, this much is clear – it’s time for a young generation of fast bowlers to rise and shine.

Pat Cummins will miss the first Ashes Test. Scott Boland will play. Beyond Boland there is Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser and Sean Abbott, all solid options but all over 30.

The “baby’’ of Australia’s first Test attack against England is Josh Hazlewood at age 34.

That extraordinary fact alone should be a bugle call to young Australian bowlers that a massive generational change is ahead.

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From August, Australia will play a staggering 20 Tests in 14 months.

If you tried now to pick Australia’s Test team for the last of those 20 Tests you could get every name wrong.

For much of the past decade the names Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood have been recited with the frequency of Crosby, Stills and Nash.

Outside that group and Boland there are Doggett, Neser and Abbott but there is widespread chin scratching over who are Australia’s next fast bowling anchormen.

The selectors have always had a soft spot for Jhye Richardson but with just 26 first class games in 10 years he has been stalked by injury for much of his career.

Tasmania’s Riley Meredith, a favourite of Shane Warne, can push the speedometre to around 150kph but a first class average of 31 per wicket at age 29 dilutes his chances.

Xavier Bartlett is promising but the fact that Spencer Johnson and Lance Morris are among a lengthy list of injured quicks calls into question the modern management of fast bowlers.

Many old time bowlers believe modern pacemen are over-managed and should be bowling more to make them more resilient.

You could ask five people to pick a bowler to watch and they could give you five different answers.

Many like West Australian Mahli Beardman. The 20-year-old Perth seamer is yet to play a first class match yet good judges have him Test match bound.

Fox Cricket expert Kerry O’Keeffe, a forensic observer of emerging talent, said Beardman “has the trajectory to be an outstanding Test bowler.’’

The Australian selectors are known to have a soft spot for 20-year-old Queenslander Callum Vidler.

He caught the eye of Alex Carey with a lively performance in last season’s Sheffield Shield final and has muscled up considerably since then. Vidler, however, has stress fractures of the back so will not be spotted any time soon.

When he returns he could go places quickly for a door of opportunity is about to open in Australian cricket for those good and bold enough to surge through it.

FIVE QUICKS UNDER 25 TO WATCH

— from Robert Craddock

MAHLI BEARDMAN - WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Age: 20

The lively West Australian paceman, who can also push the speedometer beyond 140pk at age 20, has taken at least two wickets in his last four white ball outings for his state.Wise owl Kerry O’Keeffe likes him because of his prowess in the skills O’Keeffe likes most - trajectory (bounce). The former Australian under-19 World Cup star was called into the senior Australian squad as a white ball reserve last year, a clear sign the selectors feel he is special.

FERGUS O’NEILL - VICTORIA

Age: 24

The selectors are known to love the one quality he does not have - rampaging pace - but his outstanding first class average of just over 20 shows he has a formula that works. And he can bat.

CALLUM VIDLER - QUEENSLAND

Age: 20

The rapid red-head has drawn some comparisons with a young Craig McDermott in that while he is a different body shape can bowl outswing at 145kph.Those two skills - and a decent radar - are all he needs to make an imprint in cricket.

LIAM HASKETT - WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Age: 24

Interesting player. He stands around two metres tall and with his left-armed angle has immense ability and potential. His WA team-mate Joe Paris, also a tall left-armer, once said Haskett was better than him in all facets of the game, a telling pat on the back given Paris averages 19 per first class wicket.

TOM WHITNEY - QUEENSLAND

Age: 22

Looked the part early with a five wicket haul on debut for Queensland. Has been out with an ankle injury but the former Australian under-19 squad member has the pace and poise to catch the selectors’ eye.