The next generation of Australian pacemen will audition for Twenty20 World Cup berths during the Big Bash League (BBL).
The national pace battery has been depleted following injuries to Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins, plus the retirement of Mitchell Johnson.
Throw in concerns about the workload of Test stars, who will tour New Zealand in February, and the Australian attack for next year's T20 World Cup is far from clear.
"There are a number of positions that have opened up, especially with the quicks," national T20 skipper Aaron Finch said on Wednesday.
"It (the BBL) is a chance for everyone to impress and a couple of guys to jump out of the pack, I suppose."
Finch added it wasn't just the pacemen who had a lot to play for during the BBL, which starts on Thursday night with the Sydney derby between the Sixers and Thunder.
The 29-year-old likened the competition to a selection trial for the T20 World Cup in India, where Australia's campaign starts on March 18.
"At a guess, I'd say there's still eight or 10 spots up for grabs out of the squad of 15," Finch said.
"Everyone in the game is a chance to be picked in that, as long as they perform (in the BBL)."
The T20 World Cup remains the one major cricket tournament Australia have never won.
Finch, who will captain the Melbourne Renegades in the BBL, has already discussed the shape of Australia's 15-man squad with selectors and coach Darren Lehmann.
"About how we think the team will structure up but, in terms of the personnel in it, I don't think we have talked too much," Finch said.
"There hasn't been a real lot of T20 international cricket played over the last two years since the last World Cup. It's about finding out who is in good form at the right time.
"You can talk about guys who you haven't got but they can't win you a tournament."
The strike power of Starc will be particularly hard to replace.
The left-armer is regarded as the best white-ball bowler in the world and was man of the series in Australia's successful ODI World Cup campaign this year.
Sean Abbott and Gurinder Sandhu, who will face off in Thursday's Sydney derby, are among the leading pace candidates to step up.
Abbott and Sandhu boast Indian Premier League deals and have had a brief taste of international cricket for Australia.
"There's quite a few (contenders). The easy ones to say are Chris Tremain and Guy Walker for us," Renegades coach David Saker said.
"There's also Sean Abbott, a guy with his pace ... Gurinder Sandhu as well.
"There's going to be a lot of guys who are going to put their hands up.
"That's the beauty of this competition, just so close to a World Cup and so many spots up for grabs.
"Anyone could really come from any position to get a spot," he said.
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