Australian spearhead Brett Lee is adamant the 'changing of the guard' which has rocked the nation's Test ranks is "healthy for Australian cricket", and has thrown his support behind our domestic competition.
Lee, 32, is one of a shrinking core of players remaining from Australia’s 2006/07 Ashes clean-sweep, and despite our series loss to India, Lee insists the new era facing Australian cricket will be one of dominance.
"It's a new era. We have to realise that it's going to take a while for a few of the guys to find their feet," Lee told 2GB's Alan Jones.
"We have been blessed with the likes of Shane Warne, Glenn (McGrath), Damien Martyn, Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist just to name a few.
"Guys who have been at the best part of their cricket for the last ten or twelve years.
"So to have these guys gone now and this youth coming through - it's actually really healthy for Australian cricket."
Keeper Brad Haddin - who posted his first Test century against New Zealand in Adelaide - Jason Krejza, Nathan Hauritz and Simon Katich are among the success stories and Katich is sure our domestic competition will continue producing Test quality players.
The retirements of Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist have left selectors facing a yawning gap in experience, but Katich knows all too well that a single shot at the top grade is often enough.
"There's some very good players out there in the Pura Cup at the moment" Katich told Jones.
"As we've seen in the past, guys just need an opportunity and it's amazing what can happen.
"[Nathan Hauritz] did beautifully.
"That's the beauty of it. There's a number of guys playing state cricket at the moment that - given the opportunity - there's no reason why they can't do the same thing."
- PETER CASSIDY