BIRD ALERT

Tas quick’s Warner warning for Lord’s rebound

OVERLOOKED Ashes squad member Jackson Bird believes David Warner will have a “point to prove” in the second Test at Lord’s after misfiring in his comeback from suspension.

While Steve Smith’s stunning return — he cracked twin centuries in the comeback first Test win at Edgbaston — grabbed the headlines, questions were also asked of Warner’s pair of failures.

However Bird has warned England to write off the dynamic opener at their peril, having seen first-hand the work the left-hander was doing behind the scenes while he was part of the extended squad.

The Tasmanian spearhead played for Australia A on its UK tour during the recent World Cup and was among the 24 players who were split into two teams for the four-day trial match leading into the Ashes Test series.

“I’ve seen first-hand Smithy score five or six Test centuries and his record speaks for itself really. You know something like that isn’t out of the realm of possibility,” Bird said of Smith’s heroics which rescued Australia from a perilous 8-122 on day one.

“And with Davey it’s just a matter of time as well.

“Obviously it was good to see Smithy go as well as he did and I think Bull’s got a bit of a point to prove I reckon in the next couple of weeks.

“They’ve both put in a lot of hard work in the last couple of months and I guess have been copping it a fair bit as well so it’s certainly good to see them do well.

“It’s obviously also good to see Wadey do what he’s been doing the last two years for us in a Test match and really shut up a few of the critics in that respect.”

Bird said he held no grudges for missing selection in the touring party at the expense of Michael Neser, and returned home last week to focus on preparing for the domestic season with the Tigers.

He will travel to Darwin this weekend — as a non-Hobart Hurricane he won’t play in the Strike League — but will feature in the 50-over matches scheduled between Tasmania and the Northern Territory. “My preparation for the tour was first-class,” he said.

“I was in the best shape I have been in during my career and bowling as well as I ever have in England as well.

“After I didn’t get picked, I sort of sat back and I guess reflected a little bit on it and I was all right with the selection.

“I gave it everything I could and felt like I couldn’t have done much more.”