Australian opener David Warner has expressed his desire to the Australian selectors to choose a player who is as aggressive in their style of play when he is replaced in the red-ball format of the game and hopes that the selectors give this new player a fair chance to perform well at the top of the order.
The Veteran opener has announced that he will be retiring from Test cricket after the New Year’s Test against England at the SCG. The big question for this summer will be who the Australian team selects to replace him. On the boxing day against Pakistan, the 37-year-old appeared to be in fine form before flicking a wide ball off spinner Salman Ali Agha through to Babar Azam at slips.
In an interview with Fox Cricket’s Mark Howard, David Warner urged selectors to choose an aggressive player as his long-term replacement. He feels that there are many options available to them and hopes that the chosen player will be given a good run without being replaced too frequently.
“I’ve always played the way that I have to entertain and to put bums on seats, I think that’s what’s important — giving back and making sure the fans are getting what they paid for. That’s No. 1 with Test cricket. It’s a tough game, it’s not easy”.
“I think it’s important and I think the selectors will continue to do this — we’ve got players like Travis Head, you’ve got Mitch Marsh, Cameron Green — guys who actually like going after the ball.
“How are we going to find these kids coming through? You’re going to find them through the Big Bash. It’s going to be a gutsy call to put someone out there in the middle, a bit like what they did with me, and experiment. I just hope that when they do, that person gets their chance, they’re given a good crack and it doesn’t chop and change,” David Warner said.
Most of the young Australian openers do not come close to David Warner’s exuberant flair, and whoever Australia selects will be a step back before the batter establishes themselves in the longer format of the game. Bancroft has received the most attention among the replacement candidates due to his success in Sheffield Shield cricket.
Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matt Renshaw are the top specialized prospects for the spot in the West Indies. Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald, on the other hand, has already mentioned the possibility of a shuffled order, with all-rounders Mitchell Marsh and Marnus Labuschagne potentially opening the batting in the future.