Following a harsh critique from former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson regarding David Warner‘s inclusion in the upcoming Test against Pakistan starting on December 14, chief selector George Bailey has defended the left-handed opener, asserting that Warner remains the top choice to partner with Usman Khawaja as the opening pair.
Warner had previously expressed his desire to conclude his Test career during the third and final Test against Pakistan at his hometown venue in Sydney. Despite Warner’s impressive performance in white-ball cricket, his Test batting average has been 31.79 since the beginning of 2020. Moreover, in the five Ashes Tests this year, he accumulated only 285 runs at an average of 28.50.
“Ultimately, we still think he’s in our best 11 players to win the first Test. I think Test cricket, in terms of the way that the World Test Championship points are set up, each Test is critical. There’re points on the line for each and every game.
“So our focus is very much on picking the 11 that we think can do the job and obviously there’re roles within that for each individual and how that actually structures up the team as a whole; and we think David is the right person for that for this Test,” said Bailey to reporters.

Talking further about Warner, Bailey said, “Clearly Dave would like to get through the series and finish up in Sydney, and we fully respect that. We’ve been pretty consistent around the fact that with any player, it’s how they perform as an individual and how that performance actually fits into the function of the team, and that won’t change.
“We get the advantage of having a home Test series and being able to name a squad Test by Test. And not specific to Dave, but I think all players, it’s about performing and how that fits into the team that will determine the make-up of a side in any given Test.”
Bailey also emphasized that finding a suitable replacement for Warner in Australia‘s Test side might be a protracted journey, akin to the extended quest for a successor to Shane Warne between 2007 and 2011.

“That ability to put the opposition under pressure is pretty special, and not to be taken lightly. Whenever you’ve had someone who’s had that longevity and been so dominating in a role, (it’s important) just to temper the expectations of whoever is going to be the replacement there.”
“I think back to Warnie finishing up as a spinner and how many spinners got brought in and shuffled out in the quest to almost try and replicate Warnie. I don’t think you ever try and replicate someone who’s played a role for as long as someone has done it as well as they have.”
“I’d put David in that category, the way he’s opened the batting for Australia for such a long period of time. So that’s something that we’re certainly conscious of making sure that the fit post-David is the right one.”
(With IANS inputs)