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Aussies hit back at ex-players in build-up to first South Africa Test

Travis Head accuses former Australian players of levelling unfair criticism at the current Test squad, saying the game has changed significantly since they played.

Aussies hit back at ex-players in build-up to first South Africa Test

Former Australian players are criticizing the present Test squad, according to Travis Head. He asserts that the game has transformed since they played, explaining the decline in batting averages. Head accuses the critics of unfairly judging the current team, particularly after Justin Langer's abrupt departure as coach in 2022. He emphasizes that the current players are strong enough to cope with such criticism.

Despite acknowledging the respect they hold for the past players, Head stresses that the current generation is facing a different game. Test batting averages have plummeted by nearly 20% since the end of the 2010s, and the Sheffield Shield has experienced a similar decline since the 2000s. While critics attribute this drop to the growth of T20 cricket, Head attributes it to changes in wicket conditions.

Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.

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