Gilchrist backs Australia comeback

Adam Gilchrist does not believe Australia should start to panic yet © Getty Images

Buy this photo

Adam Gilchrist is not overly concerned after speculation of a crisis in Australian cricket in the wake of their loss to India in the Border-Gavaskar series.

Gilchrist spoke glowingly about the depth in Australia cricket after skippering the All Stars to an upset 64-run victory over Australia in the All-Star Twenty20 match at the Gabba in Brisbane last night.

"It's a tough way to gauge it, but I was very impressed, I don't think this is where you mark players too harshly or get too excited, but I think we're well stocked with talent around the country," said the 37-year-old former Australia wicketkeeper-batsman.

"There's any number of guys who have got the skills and the desire there and I guess at the moment there's great opportunity there.

"There are a few positional changes coming and going and the schedule coming up is just extraordinary, so there's going to be great opportunities for so many players in all positions I suspect."

Australia, who rested a handful of stars and were missing others through injury, looked flat at times but Gilchrist tipped a full strength XI would bounce back in the first Test against New Zealand, which begins on Thursday.

"I don't think whether the Australian team won or lost tonight is going to affect things too much, I think we all knew the context of this match," he added.

"They've now got time to have a couple of quiet days, get that full squad back together and I expect them to be really firing come Thursday."

All-rounder Andrew Symonds impressed Gilchrist with his quickfire innings of 45 for Australia

Buy this photo

The match signalled the return of all-rounder Andrew Symonds and Gilchrist saw plenty to like in Symonds' quickfire knock of 45.

"He started to play some really nice strokes there, he hit the field a little bit a few times early on, but then started to really free himself up and made some nice contact, so he'll be better for that run," said Gilchrist.

Shaun Tait also made a long-awaited return to the national side after walking away from the game early this year.

Tait described being back in the Australia squad as 'brilliant' and suggested he was refocusing himself to perform in the one-day and Twenty20 arena.

"I suppose if you look at my results, traditionally I've probably done better in the shorter forms of the game," Tait said.

"But I'm 25-years-old, I don't want to rule out having another crack at four-day cricket, which hasn't gone that well this year.

"At the moment I probably have been focusing on the shorter format of the game more and the way cricket's headed in the future it's probably not a bad way to be."