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
said.

“I wouldn’t say Australia is the fourth best side in the world
but the way the side has played in the 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.