Shane Warne believes Victorian batsman Rob Quiney deserves to replace retiring great Ricky Ponting despite the miserable start to his Test career.
Quiney managed just nine runs in three innings in the first two Tests against South Africa, before being dropped when Shane Watson returned from injury for the Perth decider.
Quiney’s failures have seemingly left Phil Hughes and Usman Khawaja as the top candidates to replace Ponting – who played his final Test innings on Monday – when Australia begin their next Test series against Sri Lanka, starting in Hobart on December 14.
But Warne said Quiney remained the best long-term option at No.3 as Australia look towards trying to regain the Ashes next year.
He said Quiney should not be overlooked based on two Tests against the world No.1 team.
“He’s been the best player for a period of time now,” Warne told reporters in Melbourne.
“Yes, he didn’t do that well and he had three hits in two Tests, got a pair, didn’t play that well.
“But it’s a great time to get Bobby in now for the next series.
“You’ve got to start looking ahead and say these guys we bring in, who’s going to play pretty well in India? Who’s going to play well in England against the swinging and seaming ball?
“Bobby Quiney’s got the best technique out of any of the candidates bar none … I’m pretty confident Bobby will be there for at least four or five years if he gets a good run at it.”
Australia tour India for a four-Test series in February-March then head to England for the Ashes series in July.
Warne said the bowling attack also needed work, given the way they were belted around by South Africa in the second innings in Perth.
“The conditions, okay it was a bit flat, but I think Michael Clarke had no chance to set a field when guys are bowling knee-high full tosses, wide, straight, full, short,” Warne said.
“… I felt like jumping off the couch, flying to Perth and grabbing the ball.”
Gordon Smith
Guest
Yes - I am not suggesting Marsh should have kept playing - rather that his initial selection was reasonable - he is the last number 3 to score a century for Australia
dasilva
Guest
The scary thing is that when Warne recommends a player, the selectors normally pick the player
Jason
Guest
Let's face it. Marsh's ton on debut (like Hughes 2 x tons in his first 2nd test) turned out to be the outlier and general ineptitude the norm.
Disco
Roar Guru
Indeed.
Gordon smith
Guest
Marsh did begin with a test century
Bearfax
Guest
Warne you were a great spinner but thank goodness you're not a selector and I certainly hope you have no influence in selections or the selectors are as poor in judgement in this area as you. Quiney may have had a few good years recently but he's quite frankly not in the same league as Hughes or Khawaja. His stats are really very average at a modest 36.5 runs per innings over almost 100 innings. he's over 30 therefore near his prime. He may have done well for Australia A recently but his Shield efforts this year have him with an average of 23 and that's with two not out scores. get real. If the slectors choose Quiney, who should never, like Shaun Marsh, have been selected in the first place, they are not serious about Australia having a chance of winnnig the ashes
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Jesus Warney Liz will replace you if you keep this up. Khawaja.
Red Kev
Guest
That's a really good question. I can't bloody remember - I posted them a couple of weeks back on The Roar and so found them by back-tracking posts here rather than on a site again. Now that I've looked at the board sites and like you can't see anything official I'm not so sure that they're finalised (as you say in your post - tour will happen but dates not locked in).
Matt F
Roar Guru
Really? I can't find them on any official website (CA, BCCI or cricinfo). Where did you track those dates down from?
Red Kev
Guest
It’s been on the schedule for a year: Fri Feb 22 to Tue Feb 26 – 1st Test – India vs Australia – Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi Sat Mar 2 to Wed Mar 6 – 2nd Test – India vs Australia – Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Chandigarh Thur Mar 14 to Mon Mar 18 – 3rd Test – India vs Australia – Green Park, Kanpur Fri Mar 22 to Tue Mar 26 – 4th Test – India vs Australia – MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Dan
Guest
All a guy can do after being dropped is to go back and score runs. Hughes has done that, so if he gets another chance he deserves it. Same goes for Khawaja, but I think Hughes would get the gig first up. I'd say both will be in the touring party for India and England, possibly Ferguson too as a middle order back up.
Dan
Guest
If Quiney is the long term replacement then he needs to make plenty of runs at Shield level. He had 3 chances and failed dismally, so on with the next candidate.
Matt F
Roar Guru
The tour is confirmed but the exact dates aren't completely locked in yet
The Kebab Connoisseur
Guest
Well, we get the Sydney jokers on here continually spruiking NSW players. One Victorian voice in a cachophony of Cochroaches.
The Kebab Connoisseur
Guest
They will put in Hughes (what's that, about the 3rd or 4th time after being dropped?) I reckon. Quiney won't be back anytime soon. Hughes will murder the Sri Lankans who are garbage and be in for the Ashes next year. Just so predictable.
Jason
Guest
And before that Bryce McGain.
jameswm
Guest
Exactly - total coincidence, right?
Don Corleone
Guest
The Warne kiss-of-death. The last player Warnie backed as the next big thing was Michael Beer.
Frankie Hughes
Guest
The venues are all set for the defence of the Border Gavaskar Trophy in February so I'd say it's a certainty.
josh
Guest
Do Australis head to India? I know its in the ICC FTP, but its not in the official schedules of CA of the BCCI. But regardless it is Khawaja who deserves an extended run at 3.