They were dubbed ‘Dad’s Army’ before a ball was bowled. What next for this champion generation?
Australia’s ageing team suffered their share of “old man” ailments, but were still far too good for England. Their legacy is secure – but selectors are right to be worried about the future.
They were dubbed ‘Dad’s Army’ before a ball was bowled. What next for this champion generation?
Almost inevitably, these Ashes-winning Australians were branded “Dad’s Army” before a ball of the summer was bowled.
Almost as predictably, the moniker rang true.
Pat Cummins (32), Josh Hazlewood (35 next week), Nathan Lyon (38), Steve Smith (36) and Usman Khawaja (39) were all hobbled, mostly by old man injuries, at one point or another, yet the urn was secured in near-record time.
This ageing, settled and successful side now boasts five Ashes retentions – three under Cummins’ leadership – the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and away series wins in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the West Indies, though they did surrender the World Test championship to South Africa last June.
In white-ball land, the stunning 2023 ODI World Cup victory in India is still fresh in the memory, and sits alongside a 2021 T20 World Cup upset triumph (even if the format’s fickle nature and two-year tournament cycle dulls those memories).
The legacy of this generation is already secure. The pace triumvirate of Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins is statistically the best of any in Test history by several measures, and anecdotally, they vie for any podium you can name at least.
What does the immediate and long-term future hold for this Test side?Credit: Michael Howard
Lyon sits alongside them as one of the game’s most successful and enduring off-spinners, Smith is a regular fixture in “best since Bradman” conversations, and the two years when Khawaja averaged 58 as a reinvented opener will only be truly appreciated in time.
The sheen of Khawaja’s record has dulled with the type of decline often seen in an athlete on the wrong side of 30. But like so many in modern times, Australia’s best have turned their supposed twilight years into career-best campaigns.
At 35, Mitchell Starc sits behind only Jasprit Bumrah in the world Test bowling rankings. His 55 wickets at 17 in 2025 were easily the most taken by any bowler and easily the best returns of his career.
