The Australian Test Team Is Duking It Out In The Sheffield Shield Right Now With Mixed Results

Australia's entire Test cricket lineup has been sent back to the provincial Sheffield Shield competition to rediscover their form and give selectors an excuse to reshuffle the failing lineup. Following a record five straight Test losses to start the summer, Australian cricket is in disarray with wholesale changes expected and head selector Rod Marsh falling on his sword ahead of the dead-rubber third test against South Africa.

Australia's first-drop, Usman Khawaja revelled in his Sheffield Shield opportunity smashing a near-perfect 106 of 137 balls, including nine fours and two sixes, for Queensland against South Australia. Queensland teammate and embattled Test opener, Joe Burns, who managed just 1 and 0 against South Africa in Hobart, was not as lucky, failing yet again this time caught behind for four. In his wake, fellow Queensland opener and Test team hopeful, English-born, Matt Renshaw piled on 108 in a game-breaking 184 partnership with Khawaja.

Australian test batsmen, Adam Voges sent a shudder through cricket fans around the world when he wore a vicious bouncer to the back of the head while batting for Western Australia against Tasmania. He immediately slumped to the ground in scenes eerily reminiscent of those preceding the tragic death of Australian Test batsmen, Phillip Hughes. Voges retired hurt with concussion though will make a full recovery.

Struggling test spinner, Nathan Lyons, continued his poor form as he bowled 25 overs for NSW without a wicket finishing with figures of 0-71.

With Australian head of selectors Rod Marsh having resigned, advice on how to fix Australia's cricket woes is coming thick and fast from former Test greats. Mr Cricket, Michael Hussey urged selectors to avoid going with youth and simply pick, "the very best xI in the country regardless of age."

"In my mind that's the most important because say if we lose again then there's more and more talk about change then the confidence of the players will go down even more," he told cricket.com.au.

Legendary former Australian wicketkeeper, Ian Healey has called for a clean-out of the coaching staff and a renewed focus on junior development.

"I think there's too many (coaches) around the Australian cricket team," Healy told SEN on Friday morning.

"We need to get them down producing talent in the 14, 15, 16-year-old bracket, feeding into the states and the Australian cricket team run by a coach and an assistant coach — that'll do me.

"(The team is) totally overserviced and we can now see they don't have any impact."

Healey levelled his criticisms while maintaining a position on the Channel Nine commentary team, which is where former Test captain and record-run scorer, Ricky Ponting, directed his criticism. He wants the likes of Healey and various other Test greats to get out of their highly paid, air-conditioned commentary perches and get back into the coaching system.

"Cricket Australia know this, I've been telling them this for a hundred years, they have to look at maybe paying state coaches more and trying to get the so-called experts in the game," [Ponting told AllOutCricket.com.](all out cricket ricky ponting)

"And it's the same in England. If you look through the greats of the game, how many of those guys are actually back inside the system coaching somewhere? They're not. They're all sitting back behind a microphone commentating because they get paid more and it's less intrusive time-wise. I think it's something that needs to be looked at," he said.