Specialist opener to replace Warner: Huss
Australian Test great Mike Hussey says the Aussies must replace David Warner with a specialist opener rather than redeploy one of the current top six to the role.
Warner is in the final fortnight of his Test career, which will end after the SCG series finale against Pakistan.
It means Australia must find a new partner at the top of the order for Usman Khawaja.
Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw are jostling for the spot but there have been calls for Australia to move any of Marnus Labuschagne, Travis Head or Mitch Marsh up the order to give Cameron Green a path back into the team.
Hussey, who was a specialist opener before finding a spot in the Australian Test middle order, said it would be a tough ask for any of the incumbents to shuffle up to the top.
“I think that would be really difficult to do,” Hussey said outside the MCG on Tuesday morning after being inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
“I mean, opening is one of the toughest jobs in the game. So if I was selecting, I would be going for a traditional, proper opener. Because if you haven’t done it much in your first-class career, it’s going to be very difficult to come up the order.
“I’m not saying you can’t do it and maybe someone could evolve into doing that role.
“But I think it would be difficult for a player like Mitch Marsh or someone that I know there’s been talking about him going up the order, I think he’s probably more suited, much like Travis Head, to be in the middle order.
“I think that would be the best for the balance of the Australian team.”
Hussey would not say which of Bancroft, Renshaw and Harris should replace Warner for the Test series against the West Indies next month.
“I like whoever’s dominating the level below, who’s been dominating in Sheffield Shield cricket over a period of time,’’ he said.
“To be fair, they all have at various stages.
“It’s a tough job for the selectors, so I don’t want to stand here and say it should be this guy or this guy.
“But I hope that they reward the guy who has been performing very well at Sheffield Shield cricket. I think that sends a great message to the competition.
“And it’s great for our pathways that we’re going to reward the guys that are doing well at first-class level.”
Rain stopped play on the opening day of the second Test at the MCG.
The hosts were 114-2 when they were forced from the field mid-way through the second session, with a severe weather warning issued by the Bureau of Meteorology. Labuschagne was unbeaten on 14 and Smith was not out on two. Pakistan had won the toss and opted to bowl, removing Warner (38) and Usman Khawaja (42).