Drop David Warner’s name into the conversation and there are three distinct reactions.
The most popular is, “Thank heavens he’s back, he breathes life into any format”.
The second is that he has to bat down the list as selectors can’t change the hugely successful Aaron Finch-Usman Khawaja combination.
And the predictable third, albeit the smallest percentage, is the great Australian knocker in action saying that Warner should have been banned for life because he brought a toxic element to the team.
Let’s dump the third reaction into the trash can of history because the David Warner of today sure won’t be the David Warner of yesterday, when the toxic claim was valid.
His past sledging and general behaviour has cost him dearly in terms of his standing in the community, a painful year of rubbish cricket and the loss of millions of contract dollars.
Warner did the crime and the time. Now it’s a clean sheet.
When he resumes at the World Cup he’ll be a very different international in attitude, but his batting will be the same: simply dynamic.
It would be fair to say Warner and Chris Gayle are the two most explosive batsmen in world cricket, both capable of deciding the outcome of games on their own.
In the ODI arena, Gayle has hit 25 tons in 282 innings, including 1093 fours and 314 sixes. But Warner has a super strike rate with 96.55, compared to Gayle’s 87.14.
It’s that strike rate that answers the question of whether he should return to open and upset Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja’s combination, which only really came about with Warner’s suspension.
There’s a set of ODI stats that confirm Warner is a must selection as opener. First-dig scores of 340-plus enjoy a 93 per cent success rate, while a first-innings tally of 300 to 339 wins 84 per cent of matches; 280 to 299, 71 per cent; 260 to 279, 55 per cent; and less than 260 just 45 per cent. Scores around 300 are mighty hard to reach if the top order gets too far behind the required strike rate early.
(AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)
It will be a rare occasion if the Warner-Finch combination falls behind. Their individual ODI career stats are remarkably similar.
Warner has batted 104 times with four not-outs, Finch 105 with two.
Both are career openers, but Warner has batted once at five, Finch once at three.
Warner’s posted 14 tons and 17 half-centuries, Finch 13 and 21.
Warner’s top score is 179, Finch 153*.
Warner’s strike rate is 96.55, Finch 88.16.
Warner’s scored 4343 runs, Finch 4052.
Warner’s average is 43.43, Finch 39.33
Warner has struck 454 fours and 70 sixes for 2236 runs, Finch 406 and 94 for 2188.
There will be an added bonus with Warner back – he always runs the first hard, ever alert for the extras with a misfield. Finch has fallen into the bad habit of ambling through the first, never ready for a mistake in the field. Warner will correct that failing.
And there’ll be a second bonus in the field with Warner the equal of Glenn Maxwell, both among the best in the business.
The downside is Khawaja is also a first-choice opener, having batted there 20 times to average 53.63 with a strike rate of 86. And he’s batted ten times at three for an average 24.33 and a strike rate of 71.80.
But in all fairness Khawaja’s last ten digs as an opener against India and Pakistan have netted 655 runs at an 86 strike rate. It’s the best he’s ever batted at ODI level, but his strike rate isn’t good enough to remain an opener, so first drop will be his station at the World Cup.
TheCunningLinguistic
Roar Rookie
Of course. Your ridiculous comment for everyone to see demanded a response, even though I couldn’t care less what you think.
David
Guest
And yet you still replied.
TheCunningLinguistic
Roar Rookie
Oh, I’m sorry, you were obviously under the illusion that I cared. I don’t. Much.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Paul, it looks like it. Bairstow has opened in pretty much every game since the end of 2017. Hales replaced Roy in the last couple of games in the Windies. Don’t see Roy replacing Bairstow at the top. Their 3-6 is pretty well set - Root, Morgan, Buttler, Stokes.
Paul
Roar Guru
will Bairstow open Dave? I know he did in the West Indies but produced some ordinary results. I'd have thought they'd want Roy back to open, assuming he's not injured and have Bairstow in, maybe at 3 or5?
David
Guest
I can't get enough of people who use the word 'much' to end their sentences.
Satyendra Tripathi
Guest
I think World Cup is a big tournament. There will be sometimes lots of pressure on the players. I think Warner and Smith is a world class player. They should definitely be given chance over Khawaja and other players. Warner should open with Finch and Smith is on third number. And in this way they look invincible.
Ducky
Roar Rookie
Personally I wouldn't like to see Warner back in the Australian camp, Smith either for that matter, they seem to have a good group of players there at the moment with no dominant personality it seems to me that including Warner and Smith could upset the camaraderie and line of command.
peter chrisp
Guest
Since their ban is finally "over" & our success the past few games have been quite good. Are Warner & Smith automatic selections? I have no doubt they could make a difference. Finch & Ussie to continue to open? Or do they drop Finch & throw in Warner? Or leave the side as it is? Another i guess issue too with the bowlers, leave that until a little later. My only thoughts why not leave the winning side as it is?
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Fair enough, don’t buy any real estate from me! Perhaps I was confused because Bairstow scored at over 200 in his innings and Warner at 180-odd. I’d still say Bairstow has been fractionally more impressive in the IPL as well as last few years of ODIs. But Warner our best ODI batsman.
jeznez
Roar Guru
interesting, yet you read articles about them
danno
Guest
I agree, I think Warner would still be dynamic at 3. Finch and Usman partnerships are blossoming, why break it. Finch, Usman, Warner, Smith, Maxwell, M Marsh, Carey, Jhye, Cummins, Starc, Zampa.
danno
Guest
Who is your 5th bowler ?
Peter Warrington
Guest
Which bit of the already well understood incident don’t you believe, or which bit of even finer (!) grain do you feel like you need? If you have an issue, surely you would be talking to CA to get them to release reports, statements etc? There was an investigation...
Paul
Roar Guru
Carey playing means Marsh/Smith misses out - can see it!!
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Hello DLKN. I am with you a bit here. I think it ordinary C.A., no party really has giving the ‘whole’ or at least their area of the story. All just jargon.
TheCunningLinguistic
Roar Rookie
Oh, give it a rest. Sanctimonious much??
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Actually, Bairstow didn't score his hundred off 15 fewer balls, he scored it off 2 fewer balls. Bairstow brought his hundred up off 52 balls, Warner brought his up off 54 balls. Bairstow then went 6, 1, 6, out off his next four balls, While Warner brought up his hundred with only a couple of balls remaining in the innings and didn't score any more after that. In fact, it's quite remarkable that Warner was able to bring up his hundred in only 2 more balls than Bairstow while scoring a lot less of that in boundaries. He had 5 fours and 5 sixes. When Bairstow brought up his hundred he had 12 fours and 5 sixes. Yet Warners hundred only took 2 more balls. So I'm betting (don't know how to find the stat out) that Warner faced a lot less dot balls in his innings.
David Lord
Expert
Paul, Carey keeping means Handscomb misses out - can't see it.
DLKN
Guest
Warner's inevitable return has had the effect of reducing my interest in any national cricket team in which he's selected. He will buy some credit points with me when, and only when, he tells the full truth about what happened, what he did, and who else did what - full disclosure. So far, all he's said publicly is that he accepts responsibility for his part in the events. As to what that was, he's told the public, who he no doubt now expects to support him as a national representative, precisely nothing. He's spent more time posing for staged photo opps as a labourer at his mansion than he has explaining himself. And as for describing Warner's fielding as equal to Maxwell's - come on, April 1st was a few days ago.