Craddock: Smith will retire and we still have a youth crisis

Twelve months from now, Steve Smith will likely have called time on his incredible international career, but will Australia selectors have injected any youth into the squad?

After news that Sam Harper and Nic Maddinson have been added to the Test squad in South Africa as injury cover for Josh Inglis, Matthew Renshaw and Cameron Green questions are again being asked of selectors and strategy.

It’s becoming a far too familiar story with the country’s top cricket squad and an apparent reluctance or total refusal to roll the dice on young talent.

Harper’s inclusion comes off the back of scoring 128 off 233 balls for Australia A against India A and a strong Sheffield Shield season while Maddinson’s name has not been mentioned in Test cricket for a decade.

“I got up and saw that selection (of Maddinson) and asked if it was an old fashioned report, it’s extraordinary,” News Corp cricket writer Robert Craddock told SENQ Breakfast.

“I have to say, there are few times that a selection knocks you off your seat, I was stunned by this.

“It’s an unusual selection; he’s a very, very talented player. I’m not saying it can’t work, but we have an old team, we need a bit of youth.

“Steve Smith will be gone soon, this time next year when we are on air, I’m sure he will be retired. Marnus may well be gone as well.

“They have a team in rebuild and a perfect chance to take a young kid, take a gamble on someone.

“The selectors are saying, ‘we’re not that convinced by an of the young players’, they are going left field with a 34-year-old.”

The first Test between Australia and South Africa begins in Durban on Friday October 9 and SEN will be live for every ball

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Sam Harper, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis (second Test onwards), Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nic Maddinson, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster

South Africa’s first Test squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Marques Ackerman, David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Gerald Coetzee, Tony de Zorzi, Simon Harmer, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Anrich Nortje, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne