Australia’s ODI series loss to Bangladesh will sting. Any time you’re part of a team that loses a record, something they’ve never achieved before, it hurts.

Bangladesh deserve full credit. They played better cricket and took advantage of the opportunities presented to them. But from an Australian perspective, this series loss raises bigger questions than just what happened over two matches.

Since winning the 2023 World Cup, Australia have won just three of their last ten ODI series. That’s not a statistic we’re used to seeing attached to Australian cricket. While context matters, it’s still a concerning trend.

Part of that context is the teams Australia have sent to recent ODI tours. Against Pakistan and now Bangladesh, Australia have been missing many of their biggest names. The obvious question is why.

Have the IPL and T20 leagues changed the mindset of international players?

When I played, the IPL was already a lucrative tournament. Players had the choice to go and earn substantial money, and most of us understood exactly what came with that decision.

The IPL was played during what was traditionally our break period. It often replaced the opportunity to rest for a few weeks, refresh mentally and physically, and then return to training.

But if you signed an IPL contract, you also understood your responsibility. If Australia had a Test series or ODI series immediately afterwards, you turned up ready to go.

No excuses. No complaints about being tired. No complaints about workloads. You knew the deal when you signed the contract.

From the outside looking in today, things appear very different.

We’re now seeing players miss entire series after participating in T20 leagues. During my career, players occasionally missed a game here or there if coaches and medical staff felt it was in the best interests of the player and the team.

And you may have missed a three match series based on each player. But I don’t recall players regularly sitting out entire series after the IPL.

The cricket landscape has changed dramatically. I’ve written before about the saturation of T20 leagues around the world and the impact they’re having on the game. Not only does it affect scheduling, but it can also affect the quality and continuity of international cricket.

As a player, when you see teammates picking and choosing which series they want to play, questions naturally enter your mind. You might never say them publicly, but they are there.

Does this person want it as badly as I do for my country?

Are we all chasing the same goals?

Teams are built on trust. They’re built on shared sacrifice and shared commitment. The strongest teams I’ve been involved in had players who wanted to battle alongside each other regardless of conditions, location or format.

That’s becoming increasingly difficult in modern cricket.

Cricket Australia also appears to be fighting a battle to retain control of its biggest stars. We’ve recently seen reports of high-profile players delaying contract decisions, and discussions around player availability continue to dominate headlines.

Whether every report is accurate or not, the perception alone highlights an imbalance between players and administrators.

It’s one of the reasons I’ve previously written that player contracts need to evolve. The game has changed, and the relationship between national boards and players needs to adapt accordingly.

The Bangladesh series also gave us a glimpse into Australia’s future without many of the established stars. At the moment, it isn’t a particularly comfortable viewing experience.

Losing two ODI series in a row isn’t what Australian cricket supporters expect.

That doesn’t mean panic stations, just yet.

Australia still has plenty of talented players coming through the system. There is genuine ability in this squad. But they are clearly in a building phase, and building phases require leadership.

Touring Pakistan and Bangladesh are never easy, particularly when you’re asking inexperienced players to perform in unfamiliar conditions. Those players need experienced leaders around them. They need senior players setting standards, guiding preparation and helping them navigate difficult moments.

That support wasn’t as visible as it needed to be during these last two series.

One player who remains under the spotlight is Marnus Labuschagne.

His ODI form has been underwhelming for some time now. Yes, he scored a half-century in the second match against Bangladesh, but he did so batting at number seven.

Why?

If you’re one of the most experienced batters in the squad and someone Australia still views as an important player, surely your role is at number three. That’s where experienced players absorb pressure. That’s where they help younger teammates.

Batting him at seven felt like a move designed to help the individual rather than the team.

Perhaps selectors and coaches were trying to rebuild his confidence. Perhaps they felt it would help him spend time at the crease without the pressure of the new ball.

It worked to a degree. He made runs.

But the bigger question remains. If Marnus is still considered part of Australia’s ODI future, why hide him from the most important role in the batting order?

Meanwhile, Xavier Bartlett produced one of Australia’s best innings of the series from lower down the order, showing the fight and determination that was missing at times from the specialist batters.

Ultimately, Australia’s record of three ODI series wins from 10 since the World Cup is concerning. It’s a statistic that deserves scrutiny.

At the same time, it’s not the end of the world but they do need to figure out the difference between navigating the ODI format and not playing it like it’s a T20 match at times.

Australian cricket still has the talent. It still has depth. What it needs now is clarity. Clarity around player availability. Clarity around selection. Clarity around leadership.

Most importantly, it needs experienced players, coaches and administrators pulling in the same direction.

The next generation is coming. The talent is there.

The challenge now is making sure they’re guided properly before Australia’s ODI form slips from a temporary concern into a genuine problem.