Veteran opener David Warner kept his spot in Australia’s squad announced yesterday to face Pakistan in the first Test this month for what is expected to be his farewell series.
Warner was in scintillating white ball form at the recent World Cup, but he has scored just one Test century since early 2020 and averages only 28 since the 2019-2020 summer.
It has sparked questions about whether he should retain his place at the top of the order alongside Usman Khawaja, with the likes of Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw knocking on the door.
That trio will all play for the Prime Minister’s XI against Pakistan in a four-day red ball warm-up this week in Canberra, widely seen as an audition for Warner’s job.
“This group, led by Pat Cummins, has built a strong resume over an extended period,” chairman of selectors George Bailey said of the squad, which was named only for the Perth Test.
“We believe they have earned the opportunity to start in our first home Test match at the beginning of the new World Test Championship cycle.”
Australia open the three-Test series in Perth on December 14, before the traditional Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, then Sydney, beginning January 3.
Warner, 37, has indicated he plans to quit the five-day game after the Test at his home Sydney Cricket Ground, but continue in white ball cricket.
Spinner Nathan Lyon targets 500
Australia also have Tests against the West Indies later in January at Adelaide and Brisbane.
“As ever, there will be opportunities in the short- to medium-term to break into this squad,” said Bailey.
“We look forward to seeing the continued strong performances from players who have been performing domestically, many of whom will get a tremendous opportunity in the PM’s XI fixture against Pakistan later this week,” he said.
The only change for Perth from the team that started Australia’s last Test againstEngland at the Oval in July is likely to be the return of fit-again spinner Nathan Lyon in place of Todd Murphy, who did not make the squad.
Lyon has 496 Test wickets and is on the verge of joining just seven other Test bowlers to breach the 500-mark, including fellow spin kings Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood are again set to spearhead the pace attack with Scott Boland and firebrand Lance Morris - on the comeback from a back stress injury - waiting in the wings.
All-rounder Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green were both included in the 14-man squad, but Marsh has moved ahead in the pecking order.
Australia squad for first Test: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Cameron Green, Lance Morris.
Australia must avoid post-Warne errors when Warner retires, says Bailey
Australia’s chief selector George Bailey has cautioned against repeating the mistakes made in the aftermath of leg-spinner Shane Warne’s retirement when long-standing opener David Warner finally calls time on his Test career.
Warner was named yesterday in Australia’s 14-man squad for the first test in Perth from Dec. 14-18 of the three-match series against Pakistan as he aims to bring the curtain down on his career in Sydney against Shan Masood’s team in January.
While attention has been trained on whether Warner should be granted the opportunity to end his 12-year Test career on his own terms, Bailey stressed the need to ensure there was no hangover from the departure of such an influential individual.
“I think when you’ve had someone who’s had that longevity and been so dominating in the role, it’s just to temper the expectations of whoever is going to be the replacement there,” Bailey said.
“Think back to Warney finishing up as a spinner and how many spinners got brought in and shuffled out in the quest to replicate Warney.
“I don’t think you ever try and replicate someone who’s played a role as someone has, and done it as well as someone has, and I’d put David in that category in the way he’s opened the batting for Australia for such a long period of time.
“That’s something we’re conscious of and making sure that fit post-David is the right one.”
Warner’s selection for the opening test comes as his former teammate Mitchell Johnson launched a withering critique of the 37-year-old’s recent form and questioned whether he deserved to continue to be selected.
Over the last two years Warner has managed to average fewer than 30 runs with only one century, while his involvement in the “Sandpapergate” scandal in South Africa that rocked Australian cricket in 2018 still tarnishes the Sydneysider’s reputation.
“It’s been five years and David Warner has still never really owned the ball-tampering scandal,” Johnson wrote in The West Australian yesterday, referring to Warner’s year-long ban for involvement in sandpapering the ball to affect flight.
“As we prepare for David Warner’s farewell series, can somebody please tell me why?
“Why a struggling test opener gets to nominate his own retirement date. And why a player at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrants a hero’s send-off?”
Bailey refused to be drawn in detail on
Johnson’s comments but stressed Warner’s ability meant he warranted his place in
the squad for the opening meeting with Pakistan.
“Ultimately we still think he’s in our best 11 players to win the first Test,” Bailey said yesterday.