Oz selectors will need to decide on Katich, Hussey's future in national squad

How many ageing batsmen can Australian cricket carry as it seeks to regenerate itself after consecutive Ashes losses and the World Cup. That will be the question uppermost in the minds of Cricket Australia and the National Selection Panel (NSP) when they sit down to pick the touring squad for Sri Lanka.

Though outgoing skipper Ricky Ponting is likely to make the grade, given his awesome statistics in all forms of the game, according to The Age, a question mark will prevail over opener Simon Katich and middle order batsman Mike Hussey, who are both pushing 36.

Katich has been one of the most successful batsmen in the world since his reinvention as a Test opener, but 22-year-old Phillip Hughes convinced some important people that he might finally have developed the temperament and technique for Tests with a fine 138 for NSW in the recent Sheffield Shield final against Tasmania.

Ponting believes the experience of the older batsmen will be vital to the rebuilding process, and there is a forthright view among senior players that youngsters such as Hughes and Steve Smith need proper guidance.

SEARCH