Australian cricket finds itself under the microscope again.

Since the 2023 World Cup, Australia have won just three of nine one-day international series, and after dropping the opening match of the current series against Bangladesh, the noise has only grown louder.

Questions are being asked about selectors, coaches, player selections and the form of individuals such as Marnus Labuschagne. As always happens in Australian sport, when results don’t go your way, everyone is looking for someone to blame.

Full credit must go to Bangladesh. For 21 years they struggled to beat Australia, and in the first ODI on Tuesday they looked like the hungrier side.

At times Australia appeared like a team wanting to get the game over with rather than take control of it.

That’s not a criticism of effort, but it certainly wasn’t the sharp, ruthless Aussie cricket we have become accustomed to seeing.

There are plenty of factors at play here. The Australian squad is a mixture of youth and experience, while several established players are absent due to workloads, injuries or commitments elsewhere, which raises more questions.

My message to young players would be simple: score runs and take wickets.

The reality is that T20 leagues have implanted themselves into the global calendar and players now have more choices than ever before. That creates challenges for selectors trying to build continuity and consistency.

At the same time, a recent article highlighted concerns from some of Australia’s young batting talent. Several players openly admitted they were finding it difficult to consistently produce big scores. While I understand their point, I can’t help but think every generation of cricketers has faced similar challenges.

I still believe the 1990s and early 2000s were the peak of Sheffield Shield cricket. The pitches behaved like genuine Test match wickets. They changed throughout the game. Some started green, others bounced more than others, some turned, swing and reverse swing was common, and all of them demanded patience and adaptability.

Players learned how to survive difficult periods and cash in when conditions improved or when a bowler tired or wasn’t on the money in a spell.

Many outstanding shield players from that era never even played for Australia, despite having records that would have earned them opportunities in many other countries.

Today’s players face different challenges. As some of them mentioned, there is a feeling that you need to be a 360-degree player to get noticed in the modern game. There is probably some truth in that. White-ball cricket has changed expectations and expanded the skill set required at the highest level.

But my message to young players would be simple: score runs and take wickets. I guess the return argument is some of these players are doing that and should be in the current ODI team.

But it doesn’t matter how you do it. Your job as a professional cricketer is to perform. If you consistently make runs or consistently take wickets, selectors should notice.

What I find encouraging about these young players speaking openly is that they are being challenged. Cricket is supposed to challenge you.

A ball that swings, seams or bounces awkwardly is not a problem to be removed from the game. It’s part of what makes cricket great. There is skill in producing those deliveries as a bowler, just as there is skill in surviving them as a batter and learning how to score.

Pitches should vary. That’s the fun of playing in Perth one week and the SCG the next. You learn to adapt. You learn when to attack and when to absorb pressure. You learn to put a price on your wicket. Most importantly, you learn resilience.

I want to see the next generation dreaming about Sheffield Shield cricket and Test cricket. The journey to success is not supposed to be easy. Every cricketer gets dropped. Every cricketer goes through lean patches.

One month you feel unlucky and out of form, the next you feel unbeatable. That’s the beauty of sport. The journey is amazing, and then success tops it off.

The bigger question is what happens to ODI cricket itself. As T20 cricket continues to flood the calendar, the future of the 50-over format feels less certain than ever. It would be a shame if ODI cricket slowly disappeared, but the conversation is becoming harder to ignore.

Whatever happens, Australian cricket’s future will depend on the next generation. The talent is there. The challenge now is ensuring the first-class system remains strong, players commit fully to the formats they choose, and young cricketers embrace the setbacks that ultimately help them grow.

It’s an interesting time for Australian cricket and world cricket. The next generation won’t just inherit the game — they’ll help decide where it goes next.