Now that Australia have surrendered the crown to South Africa in the World Test Championship final, let’s look forward and see who could be wearing the baggy green cap five years from now.
*Ages are for the year 2030
1. Sam Konstas (24): Konstas should be near the peak of his powers in 2030, after an exciting debut series has left many Aussies excited to watch more. Konstas only averages 28 after his first series against India but against one of the most dominant bowlers ever in Jasprit Bumrah, he certainly held his own and will be one to watch in the future.
2. Campbell Kellaway (27): With Usman Khawaja expected to retire early next year it leaves a massive void to fill, but I’m expecting that to be filled by the promising Victorian. Kellaway had a breakout season for the Victorians, scoring 738 runs at a strong average of 41. His impressive technique and his ability to bat long periods of time would be an excellent fit with the aggressive Konstas.
3. Marnus Labuschagne (35): Even with Marnus failing while opening against South Africa in the final, his preferred spot is at three and he will most likely continue to bat there. While he has struggled over the last few years with averages of just 34.91 in 2023 and 30.93 in 2024, everyone knows how good he is at his best when he was the highest ranked batter in the world. If Marnus can find any part of that best form he will most certainly play for a long time to come for Australia.
4. Cameron Green – VC (31): He didn’t do much in his return from injury against South Africa a batter and once his back is right, he is capable of being a more than handy fourth seamer. Steve Smith will be 41 in 2030, and it is extremely unlikely that he will still be playing in 2030, and Green should be the logical replacement with some massive boots to fill.
5. Travis Head – C (36): Arguably Australia’s most talented batter, Head will be playing for as long as he wants. Head had a dominant 2024 averaging 40.53 but often taking it back to the bowlers as his strike rate over the year was an impressive 85.39, the second highest of his career. Head’s aggression and flair is a key reason why Australia qualified for the final, and he will be looking to continue that over the next five years of his career.
6. Josh Inglis – WK (35): Six was a tough spot to choose, with many options being used over recent years. Inglis will most likely play some role in the Test side after Alex Carey’s retirement whenever that may be. Inglis averaged an impressive 51 in his first series in Sri Lanka including a wonderful 102. Inglis has been one of Australia’s best performers across all formats in recent years.
7. Beau Webster (36): He has a super impressive Sheffield Shield season which led to his eventual debut against India for the SCG Test. Webster has been rearranged to seven in this order to allow for Inglis to hopefully have more opportunities with the bat. Webster in this scenario will be important as the batters but also as a bowler with his medium pace and off spin variation. In the sub-continent he can be used primarily as a spinner as Green can bowl some very solid overs as a quick and they will be able to share the all-rounders workload, hopefully to the benefit of Green’s back.
Beau Webster celebrates hitting the winning runs in his Test debut. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
8. Pat Cummins (37): While Cummins has stood down as captain in this scenario he is still one of the most dominant bowlers in world cricket. He will be 37 in 2030 but due to all his injuries he has only played 67 Tests over his career, which could indicate he will be able to play for a long time. He is Australia’s best bowler and has been for he past five years and there is no indication he will be stopping anytime soon.
9. Fergus O’Neill (29): Victoria’s premier fast bowler had a dominant Shield campaign, averaging just 21.07 and taking a massive 38 wickets across nine games. He will be at the ripe age of 29 in 2030, and while he’s doesn’t blow teams away with his pace, his accuracy and ability to move the ball is truly what makes him special. With Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland and Mitch Starc nearing the end of their careers it will take a new group of bowlers too carry the can for Australia.
10. Todd Murphy (29): Another Victorian makes the list and this time it’s their best spinner. This was an incredibly difficult spot to pick with Matthew Kuhnemann also being a strong contender, but Murphy gets the nod due to his ability to drift the ball, like Nathan Lyon.
11. Jhye Richardson (33): There is so much unknown surrounding Richardson but there is no doubt of his quality when healthy. While there are so many good options, Richardson’s ability as a strike bowler is exactly what this line-up needs. If healthy he should be playing, but that is obviously a massive if.
Five under the radar options:
Jack Clayton (31)
Harry Dixon (25)
Mitchell Owen (28)
Xavier Bartlett (31)
Callum Vidler (24)