Oz veterans' Ashes heroics bringing youngsters' failings into sharper focus: report

An Australian report has said that the fact that veterans Ryan Harris and Chris Rogers have emerged as the 'finds' of Australia's Ashes tour with their heroics may have brought the failings of their younger colleagues into sharper focus.

According to News.com.au, Rogers was selected for this tour as an insurance policy and the heavy dividends he has paid are a direct consequence of the inability of others to establish their place in the team, while Harris's potential at the top level was well known despite the injuries that consistently interrupted his career.

However, the fact that Harris and Rogers have become Australia's most successful and intimidating strike bowler and batting star respectively is disturbing for the team, especially with James Pattinson and Patrick Cummins again in rehabilitation.

The report further said that the failings of the younger players have come into the focus even more with the younger Australian batsmen spending the summer suffering ritual humiliation under enormous public scrutiny, and the younger bowlers increasingly labouring under the burden they have been forced to carry.

According to the report, although the experiences of Rogers and Harris have left them better equipped to handle the pressure than their younger teammates, it raised the question that Australia might have been too keen to pick prodigies and academy whiz-kids at the expense of more seasoned campaigners.