There are guys like Bracken (who is in my opinion the best ODI bowler in the world in 2006) waiting in the shadows wanting a go. Tait has the ability to destroy sides which he did very well during the world cup.

Tait - ODI
15 mat, 28 wickets at 24.46, bb 4.39, Sr 26.46, Econ 5.55

Bracken - ODI
67 mat, 112 wickets at 21.37, bb 5/67, Sr 29.49, Econ 4.35

Johnson - ODI
18 mat, 26 wickets at 27.88, bb 4/11, Sr 31.38, Econ 5.33

None of these guys have been given a real go in the test arena along with players like Clark, Hilfenhaus, Gillespie, MacGill and Hogg. There is a good mix of old and young players.

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Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

Yes but their Test records are hardly brilliant:-

Tait - Tests
2 mat, 5 wickets at 42.00, bb 3/97

Bracken - ODI
5 mat, 12 wickets at 42.08, bb 4/48

Whether you like it or not Warne and McGrath will leave a big hole. When you add into the mix Martyn, Langer and in the not to distant future Hayden and Gilchrist, I do believe you will not win so often as you have done recently

Bit unfair they have both only played 5 tests, which is hardly anything to go off. McGrath can be replaced and has been by Clark, Warne is irraplaceable.

Clark played well against Surry in the Friends Provident Trophy yesterday taking 6/29 off 10. Clark is having a great county season

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Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

Quagmire,

I am not saying that a period of sudden decline is on the cards (a la the West Indies) but I don't think Australia will dominate.

Yes you do have Clarke, but he is already 32 how long do you think he will remain at the top level?

Well Clark will do the short term job in tests as they blood the up and coming bowlers through the ODI side, Hilfenhaus, Johnson and Tait will be used in the ODI side and they will be given the odd test matches untill they find the right mix and they are ready for test cricket, I think Hilfenhaus is ready.

Well the main problem is a spinner, MacGill will keep playing as long as he can because he was so unfortunate that Warne was born in the same era.

Aussie contracted bowlers
Brett Lee (fast)
Stuart Clark (fast medium)
Nathan Bracken (fast medium)
Cullen Bailey (legspin)
Dan Cullen (off break)
Jason Gillespie (fast medium)
Ben Hilfenhaus (fast medium)
Brad Hogg (Left Arm Legspin)
James Hopes (allrounder, not test standard) (medium fast)
Mitchell Johnson (fast)
Stuart MacGill (legspin)
Shaun Tait (very fast)
Shane Watson (fast medium)

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Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

I'm basically on your side in this debate.. in that "old hands" like Clark, Bracken, MacGill and Hogg strike me (depite their age) as better options for the nest 5 years than the likes of Mahmood, Plunkett, Broad and Onions (who have time on their side but show every sign of needing an awful lot of it).

On the plus side... Johnson, Hilfenhaus and some of the young spinners look at least as promising as youngsters elsewhere in Test cricket... but on the negative side.. the Aussie selectors look set on shooting themselves in the foot by picking wasters like Lee, Tait, Watson, Symonds, White - this COULD allow the chasing pack back into the race... but so long as quality is preferred the Aussies strike me as well set for the next decade.