Firstly, ex-players like Brad Haddin have weighed in with gratuitous advice. It’s a good sign. One of the strengths of Australian cricket has always been the ongoing concern and involvement of its ex-players, especially during times of crisis.

Hopefully, Matt Hayden will heed Haddin’s call, get on the phone to a few of our batsmen, especially Renshaw, and reveal the secrets of his preparation for a 2001 tour that yielded him a 100+ average. Secondly, mentors are being recruited for Australia’s spin bowlers. England left-armer Monty Panesar is travelling up to the Centre of Excellence to work with the spinners, especially Steve O’Keefe (a fellow left-arm orthodox bowler), and the batsmen ahead of their departure. O’Keefe himself signalled his determination to continue the success he enjoyed in the first Test in Sri Lanka last August by opting out of the Sixers’ BBL match in favour of a grade match against Panesar’s Campbelltown-Camden.

Meanwhile, former Indian all-rounder Sridharan Sriram’s ongoing involvement with the Australian team might bear fruit this time around, now he has a varied squad of spinners to work with. Sriram, who is familiar with Australia’s players and the issues they face in Asia, will land in Dubai in late January to continue his work at the ICC Academy.