David Warner is trying to convince the Australian selectors that he could make a shock comeback from retirement to again partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order.
With all the candidates for the vacant opener’s berth struggling for form, Warner claims he is “dead serious” about making a surprise return for the five-match series against India.
The left-hander, who retired from Test cricket after the SCG Test at the start of the year, will turn 38 next week but he argues that with most of the Australian team having just one Shield hit-out before the first clash with India in Perth next month, he could make a return for NSW to prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.
“I’m always available, just got to pick up the phone,” he told NewsCorp.
“I’m always dead serious. Let’s be honest, the guys have played one red-ball game (in Shield cricket) since their last Test matches in February, so I’ve almost had the same preparation.
“Honestly, if they really needed myself for this series, I’m more than happy to play the next Shield game and go out there and play.
“I did retire for the right reasons to finish the game and I wanted to finish. My hand is up if they desperately need someone. I’m not going to shy away from that.”
Warner has contacted coach Andrew McDonald and selector George Bailey to let them know he is interested.
He said McDonald responded with “you’re retired”.
“I don’t think he wants to give me the pleasure of him saying ‘can you come back?’ I’ve cheekily messaged both,” Warner added.
David Warner walks off the field after being dismissed at Sydney Cricket Ground in January. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
With Steve Smith moving back to No.4 after failing to fire at opener against the West Indies and New Zealand, Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw, Marcus Harris and teenager Sam Konstas have been tossed up as potential options.
Bancroft registered a pair of ducks and eight in his three Shield outings, Renshaw has tallied just 21 from his three hit-outs and while Harris hit 43 and 52 versus Tasmania at the Junction Oval, he was out for 26 and 16 to a strong NSW attack at the MCG.
Konstas put his name on the selection panel’s list with twin tons for the Blues against South Australia but made 2 and 43 against the Vics this week.
Unless the selectors do an unlikely backflip to accept his comeback plan, Warner thinks Marnus Labuschagne could move up a spot from first drop with South Australian skipper Nathan McSweeney coming into the middle order.
“I think you can have someone else that can come in and bat three and Marnus could open.
“Is Nathan McSweeney (37 and 72 for South Australia) a good enough player to come in and bat three?”
Warner is a fan of young NSW opener Konstas but wonders if throwing him in against the Indian attack now might be too soon in his development.
Sam Konstas walks off after he was dismissed by Scott Boland at Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Photo by Josh Chadwick/Getty Images)
“Konstas can definitely in time be that long-term opening batsman … and look there is every opportunity for him there to potentially do that, but I think you still have to see a little bit more,” Warner said.
Bancroft has a golden opportunity to assert his Test credentials and bat Western Australia to victory in their Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania on Wednesday.
An in-form Josh Inglis (101 off 141 balls) put the hosts in control on day three at the WACA Ground, before a batting collapse left the Tasmanians’ chances of victory in disarray.
When bad light stopped play, Tasmania (9-135) were only 80 runs ahead of WA with one wicket in hand, having sputtered to 3-13 before losing 6-67 in the final session.
Matthew Kuhnemann (5) and Riley Meredith (2) will start unbeaten at the crease on day four, but neither has recorded a first-class half-century in their career.
The stage appears set for Bancroft and fellow opener Sam Whiteman to bat WA home in reply, as the former chases the vacancy at the top of the order for the Test summer.
A Test player on 10 previous occasions, Bancroft managed only eight runs in the first innings, but could finish the week as the most in-form player of those in the mix.
with AAP
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