It is easy to sit here and pick and prod at the Australian Test squad selected to face Bangladesh.

The selectors will say they have picked the best available group to win the next Test match. That is their job. But it is also their job to look beyond the next Test match.

Bangladesh arrive in Australia with some confidence after recently beating the Aussies 2–1 in the ODI series in their own conditions. Yes, it was a different squad and format.

But there are no excuses when you pull on an Australian shirt. Every Australian team has standards to uphold, regardless of who is unavailable.

That result also showed where Australian cricket sits at the moment. We are still a strong cricket nation and the No.1-ranked Test side, but we are in an interesting period. The latest Test squad, with an average age of around 33, has again brought up the age debate.

Age alone should never decide selection. You pick your best players and reward performance. Experience is a major strength in Test cricket. But a squad also needs fresh faces who can become established before the experienced core disappears.

There are not many of those fresh faces in this squad. Cam Green is the only player under 30.

The selections I question most are Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Marnus Labuschagne, although for different reasons.

No one is questioning what Hazlewood and Lyon have achieved. They have won plenty of Tests for Australia and been outstanding performers over a long period. I have seen their quality firsthand. This is not about their records. My concern is their bodies.

Hazlewood has broken down several times over the past few years. Lyon has not played a Test since suffering his serious hamstring injury during the Ashes. I have no doubt both have worked hard to meet the standard required of Australian Test cricketers.

But training is not Test cricket. Once you step onto the field, the intensity changes. It is bowling back-to-back spells, then being asked to come back late on day three and beyond when the pitch is flat, and the opposition has a partnership going. It is returning again on day four or five when the legs are heavy and the body is sore.

Those overs cannot be replicated fully in the nets. They become tougher on older bones and muscles, no matter how professional the preparation.

That does not mean Hazlewood or Lyon cannot perform. They might both dominate. The question is whether Australia needed both for this series, or whether it was an ideal opportunity to expose the next fast bowler or spinner while senior players were still around to guide them.

Bangladesh should not be taken lightly. That is what makes selection a balancing act. You must respect the opposition while still preparing for the future.

Labuschagne is a different case. His job at number three is to score runs, and he has not done enough of that for several years. He has spoken recently about his mindset and how, while struggling, he became too focused on chasing runs.

It is good that he has recognised that. Time away from Test cricket may have refreshed him and given him the chance to work on his game without the constant glare that comes with international performance. But ultimately, talking about the problem does not solve it. Runs do.

Whenever I question selections, the response from some people is: “Well, who is your solution?” Naming the squad is not my job, but I see several players in Australian cricket who could be given an opportunity.

Selection should not be based only on statistics, either. Selectors are paid to recognise whether a player has the technique, temperament and character to handle the next level.

My bigger worry is what happens when several members of this Test side retire within a short period. How large will that hole be if the replacements have barely played any Test cricket?

Australia may be good enough to absorb it. Our domestic system has produced strong cricketers for generations. But assuming it will simply happen again is dangerous. Players need opportunities before being expected to carry the team.

This Bangladesh series looked like a chance to begin that process. The selectors have chosen experience instead.

For now, I am looking forward to watching Test cricket again. Australia has a huge schedule ahead over the next 12 months, and that will test form, fitness and depth. By the end of it, we will know whether this squad remains largely intact or whether some significant changes have finally arrived.

The future is coming either way. Australia cannot keep putting off preparing for it.