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Warner's win provides hope for generation next

Dave Warner beat Steve Smith to take out the Allan Border Medal. (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Roar Rookie
29th January, 2016
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By narrowly beating Steve Smith to take home the Allan Border Medal on Wednesday night, David Warner provided future generation of cricketers – brought up on the hit and giggle of T20 cricket – hope of a long and promising career in Test cricket.

Warner was called upon to represent his country in the infancy of the T20 phenomenon, despite limited domestic experience and opportunities.

His career seemed over before it really began, with controversy aplenty, an inability to convert scores, and his well-documented penchant for ending up on the wrong side of Cricket Australia board members, coaches and teammates.

Yet Warner has succeeded where many have not, forging a Test career to envy.

He has now plundered over 1000 international runs with his revamped technique, patience at the crease, and ability to play within himself for the better of the team.

He is a cricketer in his prime, and could evolve into one of Australia’s greatest Test openers.

But the biggest impact of Warner’s medal win won’t be on his career. His continued success, resolve and ability to adapt to Test match cricket from a mere slogger will change the way we see players pigeonholed as short-form specialists.

Warner has provided fledgling talent with a template in which to evolve: trust your attacking instincts and develop the ability to adapt to all match situations, both in short-form and Test cricket.

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This is promising for Australian cricket, providing generation next with realistic hope to achieve a lengthy and successful career in international ranks – it seemed improbable before the rise of David Warner.

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