Everyone knows that the fast bowlers currently sweating in 40-degree heat on unhelpful surfaces for Australia's ODI side in Pakistan are just keeping the places warm until the return of the "big three": Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.
Australia's chair of selectors George Bailey admitted as much when the current squad was announced, saying of the trio: "The end goal is for all of them to hopefully be available and performing well at the coming 50-over World Cup."
But those bowlers will be aged 34, 36 and 37 respectively by the time that World Cup in southern Africa comes around in late 2027.
