David Warner is refusing to back down on his criticism of Cameron Bancroft’s batting technique and has delivered a message to the players vying for his former role as Australia’s Test opener. Bancroft is one of four batters hoping to take their last chance to impress selectors in the Australia A vs India A match starting at the MCG on Thursday – with Nathan McSweeney, Marcus Harris and Sam Konstas the other players in contention.
McSweeney has emerged as the front-runner to partner Usman Khawaja at the top of the order for the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Test cricket series starting in Perth on November 22, having top-scored in both innings of Australia A’s win against the tourists last week. The South Australia captain has also been in superb form in the Sheffield Shield this season, but McSweeney and the other candidates will have to wait a bit longer to stamp their claims after he won the toss and chose to field on Thursday.
Bancroft had long been considered a favourite to earn a Test recall as the leading Shield run-scorer for the past two seasons but a poor run of form this season may have cruelled his hopes. There is also a school of thought that Bancroft burnt his bridges after his role in the infamous ball-tampering scandal and subsequent comments he made suggesting that Australia’s bowlers – all of who remain in the Test side – must have known what was going on.
But Warner said this week that a deficiency in Bancroft’s batting technique – and not the events of the past – is why selectors may overlook him. “With Cameron Bancroft, his foot is still out to point,” Warner said on Fox Cricket in his commentary debut for Australia’s ODI against Pakistan. “If someone is bowling 140, 145km/h, he is still going to make the same mistakes. In my eyes, it’s about his front foot being pointed out to point, and when there is faster air speed, so the bowlers are bowling faster, he is going to get rolled through lbw or get caught in the slips cordon. He had that trouble when playing for Australia.”
Curiously, Warner and Bancroft will be Sydney Thunder teammates in the Big Bash this season, with Warner set to captain the side after his leadership ban from the ball-tampering scandal was lifted by Cricket Australia. But the veteran opener said it does not change his opinion about Bancroft’s Test prospects and insists he will continue to speak his mind when asked to give his thoughts.
David Warner offers advice amid Cameron Bancroft criticism
“We are in the team together, it is Big Bash, it’s white-ball cricket, it’s not the Australian Test team and I’m not playing in the Shield team with him,” Warner said on 2GB’s Wide World of Sports radio. “My opinion is that. If he wants to have those conversations with me about helping him… then he’s happy to have those conversations.
Warner has also extended that offer of advice to the other Test hopefuls Harris, McSweeney and Sam Konstas and said he often sought the advice of Aussie greats such as Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist earlier in his career. “That goes with Marcus Harris and a lot of the other guys,” Warner added. “I’ve been speaking to Sam Konstas about the occasions and the pressure that might be on him in these Australia A games. He reached out to me and I think that’s great. I think that’s what we’re there for. We played the game for a long time… That’s what it’s about; it’s about trying to build yourself and get better yourself.”
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Warner singled out McSweeney as his top choice to partner Khawaja in the Test series against India, even though he is not a traditional opener. And another strong showing while batting at the top of the order for Australia A at the MCG could all but sew up the SA skipper’s spot. “McSweeney’s a talent,” Warner said. “They can run the gauntlet with him opening the batting. I know he bats No. 3 for South Australia, but I think there’s leadership qualities there as well.”
As well as top-scoring in both innings of Australia A’s victory over India A, McSweeney also has scores of 55, 127no, 37 and 72 in the Sheffield Shield this season. He’s currently averaging 97 batting at No.3 for South Australia and is nine runs behind Konstas as the third-highest run-scorer in the Shield this season, with a brilliant century in the One Day Cup to his name for good measure.
