Yet again, bombastic Australian opener David Warner has been thrust into the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
In Warner World, ditching a day in the field for a nets session is a great idea. This follows on from his hot roll of recent brilliant decisions, although it’s not quite in the same league as attempting to whack Joe Root (proving that he can’t even middle a punch most of the time).
The performances of dynamo Dave are an enigma wrapped in a riddle stuffed into a piece of pine.
His rocks and diamonds innings have become his trademark. He has proven he can win games off his own bat, only to back them up with a series of underwhelming efforts – underwhelming an understatement in and of itself.
How can we fix him? The simple answer is we can’t.
To try and scrape all the rocks from Dave’s game is to eliminate the diamonds also. The risk, danger and reckless abandon of his weak totals are the basis of, on his day, his seemingly unstoppable roll of momentum.
It’s either pick him as he is, warts and all, or let him languish as a T20 specialist.
With the kiddy pool shallowness of Australian batting depth, can we afford to turn away a man with 20-plus Tests under his belt and seven first-class centuries?
I don’t think we can.
Despite his penchant for a low score, he is the only batsmen outside of Michael Clarke who has shown he can genuinely rip the game away from a quality bowling attack.
On top of this, he performs much better at home compared to abroad, with his trio of Test centuries all coming on Australian wickets.
In a future where the Steve Smiths and Usman Khawajas of the side can really stamp their authority on a number in the order, where the Maddinsons, Silks and other young prospects can start to really plunder some runs in the Sheffield Shield, the position of Warner certainly comes under immense scrutiny.
But for now, he might just be all we’ve got.
Twitter: The_Hoss12
Steven McBain
Roar Guru
Have to say Davros, I do agree with you about how much it's been overdone. The Joe Root thing I think was a pile of rubbish. I'm sure Root was being no angel also and the bigger issue was them all being on the brew ahead of the series. Completely agree with you, bit of fisticuffs in a bar so what although I did grow up in Scotland! Some players thrive on this kinda stuff anyhow, makes them stronger and often they settle down. Ponting was a bit rogue early on I recall although Warner is now 26. However, I remember what I was like at 26 and I was a bit of a pillock too and that was without being famous and especially good at anything. It gets into this whole sportsmen/role models debate which will just go on and oooooooooonnnnnn.
davros
Guest
yes he is somewhat of a forgotten man ...he should be worth a try ...couldn't even make oz a....he is another quality batsman who has matured around 30 years of age....knows his game inside out , how to deal with pressure scored runs in all places and situations... similar to rogers.....we should be picking these guys and letting the youth score a mountain of runs in shield imho
ChrisUK
Guest
Poor old Derek Pringle wouldn't know what to do with himself, would he?
Manoj
Guest
He could have done alot worse things then miss a grade game, lets pick on things which deserve our attention. For now my focus is on the Ryobi and shield after that to see who gets early runs in preperation for the ashes. Davos who is Candice.
Aakash bhat
Guest
Klinger score 140 against tas.he deserves a place in the ashes team
62627
Guest
I'm not sure why he should give a sh*t about the test team or test cricket. CA sure don't care about the test team or test cricket, why should David? It's a dying form of the game anyways, t20 is the future and where the money is for players like Warner.
davros
Guest
yep point taken steve ....but there was 100 or so people yesterday lining up for a free kick .....so pertinent or not did we need to do it again today ? Im a bit like what I consider a great post some months back ....basically I don't really care how much soap opera is created and the spin attached ....can he score runs for oz is all I really care about ....taking a swing at joe root never bothered me that much and giving it BACK to a couple of murdochs fox sports hacks when they used his photo inaaprporiately ....I would have given him a medal .....when the beying pack is coming down hard with there self righteous and sanctimonious diatribe.... I don't know why but I feel like trying to defend him....wish I could have gone to a top race meeting swanking it up in the members with Candace Falzon on my arm ....im pretty sure it would be ...sorry boys cant make it next week got something on
davros
Guest
....maybe I was a bit harsh ...but bagging out warner is just so easy and so very very boring ...so I apologise pat ...my pet topics are the dumbing down of the Ryobi ...ie taking it away from the home crowds on great grounds because channel 9 decreed it so ...even though CA is actually kickin the tin for much of the coverage...I not sure why we have to have johan botha leading a Sheffield shield side taking the spot of someone like adam zampa.....why cant oz cricket administrators grow a spine and support south Africa against the corrupt bcci....is it really in our interest to be touring india in a meaningless 1 day series just before the ashes and leaving South Africa to struggle on their on .....it could well be us one day ....just to name a few relevant topics....apologies again pat it wasn't just another hatchet job ....I know he did the wrong thing .........2nd half of a gde game fielding...or net and accompany Candace to the races...if I had to guess he is a young man in love ad he is probably thinking with his little head
Steven McBain
Roar Guru
Bit harsh no Davros?? Seems a pretty pertinent issue right now and I don't think Pat was hanging him out to dry either, seemed to be weighing up the pros and cons. If the British press declared a moratorium on writing about KP's travails they'd have shut at least 3 newspapers down!
Felix
Guest
If you've got so many great ideas to be discussing, why not get off your @rse and write an article?
JGK
Roar Guru
It does all feel a bit James O'Connor.
davros
Guest
didn't we discuss that yesterday ad nauseum Pat ? Do we really need to line up the beying pack again today ....maaaate u missed it the lynching was yesterday with Ronan...are u so bereft of ideas for a column ? ..I could think of half a dozen interesting and relevant topics we could be discussing...maybe u r feeling relevance deprivision syndrome....and it would make u feel good if u wrote a topic and got lots of responses ...well youre probably on the write track....like shooting fish in a barell