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My first viewing of David Warner came in a Newcastle – upon Tyne, not 100 miles north of Sydney – bar during my stag weekend.
While contemplating whether or not I needed a beer at such an hour in the morning, in the TV up in the corner was a squat left-hander who I – and everybody else – had never heard of.
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Even when his pyrotechnics had ended a few short of a century on his international debut, the majority may not have expected to hear a great deal more about him.
He obviously had a good eye and the ability to hit a cricket ball a fair distance but there are a few who can do that. It’s certainly not an indicator of guaranteed success.
It was unexpected that such a performance could be delivered with a paltry amount of senior-level experience in the locker, but created nowhere near the same kind of surprise as when he carried his bat in a losing cause against New Zealand early in his Test career.
I’ll freely admit that I had Warner down as a product of the age, a brash, free-swinging, hard-hitting, short attention span cricketer; made for the 20-over game and the riches it could bestow on such a player.
Little substance, aesthetically crude and available for hire to whichever unnamed franchise wanted him.
Well, consider me turned.
It can’t be denied that the Sydneysider is a product of the modern game. After all, how many cricketers have started out in the shortest form and made such a success of the transition upwards?
But the last 14 months or so have shown the opener to be far more than just an accomplished hitter. Nine centuries (at the time of writing) from 27 innings from the start of the 2013-14 Ashes series is stellar form whichever way you choose to dress it up. If he isn’t the game’s premier opening batsman, then I’d like to know who is.
Pushed for an answer, AB de Villiers would be this writer’s pick as the world’s finest with bat in hand but Warner loses very little in comparison with some pretty esteemed company.
That he scores at an accelerated rate – a shorter Matthew Hayden on speed – is nothing unusual as many others have done so and this can be attributed to the way batsmanship has evolved but to do it consistently is another matter altogether.
A basic technique that is effective and uncomplicated rarely gets a mention and this is why he has been so successful. Coaches generally preach keeping the head still and playing the ball late and if this is married to a keen eye then you’re on the right track.
Add to the pot an ‘up yours’ abrasive attitude that isn’t everybody’s cup of tea – reminiscent of Ricky Ponting in his heyday – and you have what you’re seeing right now, an excellent batsman in prime touch.