Shane Warne has gone; Glenn McGrath is going - and the likes of Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar cannot go on forever.
The time is clearly approaching for a new generation of stars to take the game forward, but at the moment there seem to be few ready to take up the challenge.
At present the indications are the that all the big headlines at the forthcoming World Cup in the West Indies will be made by players with familiar names, such is the dearth of potential superstars coming through.
Perhaps it is an inevitable lull. Players such as the aforementioned are rare talents, and the world cannot expect them to be replaced instantly.
People should perhaps feel privileged to have witnessed not only them but also the likes of Adam Gilchrist, Rahul Dravid, Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Muttiah Muralitharan playing in the same era.
Much as Ian Botham, Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev all excelled in the same short period, so another golden generation is dominating the game.
That is not to bemoan a lack of talent in the current youth ranks. Indeed there are some fine youngsters out there, but at the moment all the biggest waves are being made by players who have been around some time.
The top-ranked batsmen in the world, Ricky Ponting, Mohammad Yousuf and Dravid, all made their debuts in the mid-late nineties - and three of the best bowlers, McGrath, Muralitharan and Pollock, will have a combined age of 104 when the World Cup begins.
With such quality in the ranks, the tournament in the Caribbean should be able to make up for its lacklustre predecessor in South Africa - but it would also be nice to see some fresh blood take centre stage.
If that were to happen - remarkably given events in Australia this winter - England could be involved.
Kevin Pietersen has a couple of years experience now and does not really count in the emerging category. But this will be his first World Cup, and he will have the chance to really make his mark at the top level.
Behind him Ian Bell, if he can get to grips with the pace of a one-day innings, and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar offer promise. Maybe even the technically excellent Ravi Bopara, if he gets a chance, can shine.
India have unearthed another talented player in 20-year-old left-hander Suresh Raina, and he may well benefit from the experience of more than 30 one-day internationals before the World Cup begins.
He has gone through a sticky spell after an explosive start but he is already a mature player and in the next couple of years could develop into one of the worlds finest.
It could also be the time for wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Dhoni, the pin-up of Indian cricket who is now 25, to come of age. His crash-bang talent has so far been seen only sporadically.
Sri Lanka may have found a prodigy in opener Upul Tharanga, who at 21 hit two centuries in the one-day series against England last summer and has benefited from playing alongside Sanath Jayasuriya.
Elsewhere Bangladesh seem to have a couple of interesting 19-year-olds in Saqibul Al-Hasan, a left-arm medium pacer, and left-handed batsman Mehrab Hossain Junior - but their team is still far from competitive.
The hosts may have cause to worry as 37-year-old Lara remains the principal figure in their side, while New Zealand and South Africa both appear to be going through a period of stagnation with regard to fresh talent.
Pakistan are always likely to throw new faces into the fray, but their cricket of late has been so inconsistent that the likes of Inzamam and Yousuf must perform to give them hope.
