Warne bats for youngsters in Australia Test side

Melbourne:

With Australia still struggling to cope up with the retirements of some key players, spin legend Shane Warne has called on the selectors to pump in young blood in the team before it is too late.

The series losses against England, South Africa and India in the past 13 months has dropped Australia from the top to the fourth place in the ICC Test rankings and Warne feels it is high time for the senior members of the side to perform or make way for youngsters.

"You have to say the Australian side has been in a transition phase but there has to be a line that when does that transition phase stop" he was quoted by the Daily Telegraph as saying.

"I wouldn't say Australia is the fourth best side in the world but the way the side has played of recent times you are going to have to be patient.

"But there comes a time when you say okay, are these guys in the side going to see us through in the long term or is there an opportunity to get some new blood in the side?" he said.

Warne asked the selectors to learn from history when he was one of the four players - including Glenn McGrath, Justin Langer and Damien Martyn - retired after the 2006-07 Ashes.

Since then Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden have also quit the game, leaving Australia with transition problems.

He pinpointed opener Phillip Hughes, leg-spinner Steven Smith and all-rounder Moises Henriques as youngsters who should be given a run in the Test side.

"We need to say 'what is our future? If we're going to stay in a transition side and stay patient with them, we need these guys to get the opportunity to play some Test cricket.

"Pick them at the right time. What we don't want is to lose four or five of us like we lost (after the 2006-07 Ashes) once again. We don't want to lose a couple of them," the 40-year-old former spinner said.

"Yes, be patient and we're going to be a bit inconsistent, but there comes a time when we say, we've had enough time. We know enough about ourselves, we've played enough Test cricket, it's time to start performing," Warne said.