OPENER Simon Katich says the Cardiff pitch remains an unknown in the countdown to the opening Ashes Test on Wednesday.

The Australian team will train in the Welsh capital for the first time on Monday morning, seeing the Sophia Gardens pitch ahead of the ground's maiden Test match.

Katich said he had played one-day and four-day games at the venue but wasn't completely certain about what kind of wicket to expect this week.

"I guess that air of the unexpected, of not knowing what the wicket is going to be like because there has not been Tests played here in the past," he said.

"All we can go on is results in county cricket."

The Australians are still weighing up whether to take in four quicks or play the touring party's only specialist spinner Nathan Hauritz.

Much has been made in England about the exodus of stars from the Australian side since the last Ashes series but Katich felt his young team-mates were ready to shine in the sport's oldest rivalry.

"That is always the case when so many legends of Australian cricket retire but the exciting thing from our point of view is that we have a batch of youngsters that are really keen to make their own Ashes history," he said.

"We have seen in the last six months we have had a number of guys step up into their roles and done very well for us.

"Guys like Mitchell Johnson, Phil Hughes at the top of the order, Marcus North now and Peter Siddle.

"All these guys have come in and replaced the great players and are starting to make their own mark in Test cricket."