The Australian team of the late nineties and naughties had several once in a generation players with both bat and ball. So good in fact that players like Stuey Macgill and Brad hodge, who would have been walk ins for just about every other team, hardly got a game.

The fact that the team is forced to persist with such obviously flawed players such as Hughes is testament to the gap in quality. Michael Bevan, who was so much better than Hughes it isn't funny, got dropped after 15 or so test because of a perceived weakness against the short ball, despite averaging close to 60 over his career in first class cricket.

Its probably unrealistic to expect the current crop of players to perform at the same level. That said, selection and development decisions in recent times haven't helped the cause. Australia will probably have to suffer through a mediocre period for the next little while.