“WE’RE BACKING HIM”: AUSSIE COACH MCDONALD PICKING WARNER TO FIRE IN ASHES AND WTC FINAL
Australian cricket coach Andrew McDonald has backed David Warner to perform in the upcoming World Test Championship final and Ashes series. With Warner only having one Test century to his name since January 2020 – a double century at last summer’s Boxing Day Test against South Africa – queries have been placed on the 36-year-old’s future. While Usman Khawaja is a certainty to open, some have called for Warner to be replaced by one of Marcus Harris or Cameron Bancroft, but the Aussies have stuck firm with Warner to pick him in the squad for the first two
Ashes Tests and WTC final.
McDonald was asked by SEN’s Gerard Whateley whether there were any doubts about Warner’s immediate future in the side.
“I’m not sure that’s real,” McDonald told SEN’s Whateley.
“I think that’s to use your term an overreaction.
“I think he’s one of many, many players (we’ve looked at closely with selection).
“I think every selection is really critical for us to get that right, whether it be the bowling formation, whether it be the batting … even where we put our fielders … who’s at third sleep, who’s at gully, all those little things are going to have a say in the Ashes series.
“We’re optimistic with what Dave’s got left. We’ve picked him in the squad, and we feel that he’s going to play a really significant part in the Ashes and the World Test Championship Final and that’s why he’s on the plane.
“We think he’s got some good games left in him.”
While Warner’s spot for the WTC final is guaranteed given he was a key member in Australia’s side to reach the big game, Whateley asked McDonald whether he had secured his spot in the side for the opening Ashes Tests as well.
“He’s an important part of that squad,” McDonald said.
“If he wasn’t, then we would have had a clear checkpoint after the first Test match or the World Test Championship going into the Ashes but that’s not the case.
“We’ve picked our squad for the first two Ashes Tests as well along with the World Test Championship.
“He’s clearly in our plans and he’s ready to go and we’re in constant contact with him.
“He knows exactly where he sits with us and internally, we’re really settled around what we need to do and how we’re going to go about it.”
Looking back to the last away Ashes campaign in 2019, Warner was famously tormented by Stuart Broad as the left-hander made just 95 runs at an average of 9.50 across the five Tests. While Warner didn’t have an ideal series last time in the UK, McDonald is certain he can perform in the conditions as he did in 2015 as he made 218 runs at an average of 46.44. “I think he can draw on some positive experiences in England,” McDonald said.
“In 2015, I think it was eight halfcenturies and he averaged mid-forties. “So, he’s had success there, it’s not as though he hasn’t had success in those conditions.
“We’re backing him to draw on everything that he’s got, I think leading into the Boxing Day Test the doomsday people are out there as well.
“He’s got still plenty to draw upon and we saw it early in the IPL as well.
“We saw a trend up in terms of his form there … the doubters were out again around his game and then he was able to rebound and respond.
“He’s in a good head space, I spoke to him as recently as yesterday and he’s ready to go and he’s really excited to get back into camp and see the boys.”
The World Test Championship against India begins on June 7 at The Oval in London.
The first Ashes Test begins on June 16 at Edgbaston.