Craddock: David Warner’s aggression combined with productivity puts him in our best ever batsmen

David Warner’s farewell tour started perfectly, so is it time to discuss him with our greatest ever batters? ROBERT CRADDOCK assesses Warner’s place among the greats.

As David Warner launched his final lap with a customary century against Pakistan there was just one question left to ask … where do we rank him?

Was he great or just very good? Does he deserve to be ranked in Australia’s all time top 10 batsmen?

I’d have him at No. 8 just behind Steve Waugh and in front of Michael Clarke.

It’s often said when you are trying to compare great players look at what they didn’t do or where they struggled because we know they generally filled their boots.

Warner’s only conspicuous soft spot is that he was a far better batsmen in Australia than overseas – he averages almost 60 on home soil and just 32 abroad.

But Warner’s overall Test record of an average of around 45 from 110 Tests is exceptional in an era when openers struggled and the number, aligned with his average, that makes him a genuine top 10 entry is his strike rate … 70.

The opener was at his best to open the series. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Strike rate is the most underrated of all batting stats.

Players who can push the pedal to the floor scramble opposition game plans, muddle the minds of bowlers and make life infinitely easier for batsmen at the other end.

Thursday’s innings against Pakistan – when Warner freewheeled along at a run a ball pace – took the audience back to the hurricane days when he rocked the world and the world didn’t know really how to respond.

They had never really like anything like him and, for all of his struggles in recent years, we have become almost desensitised to watching extravagant shots as his shot of the day on Thursday when he went down on one knee and scooped Shaheen Shah Afridi for a sweet six.

Warner used his strike rate as a weapon more than anyone in our top 10, Adam Gilchrist aside.

After once being beaten outside off stump by a honey sweet outswinger from Afridi Warner gave the bowler a brief clap.

He wasn’t stirring the pot or being condescending. It was honest appreciation of a decent ball.

That’s what it has come to with Warner against Pakistan. He doesn’t need to be the Raging Bull, the antagonist, the pot-stirrer.

He just had to relax … and bat, and bat and bat. For nearly 10 years he has had their number and, after his traditional high-leaping century celebration, the only time the old Bull stirred within him when he made a pointed gesture towards the press box.

David Warner celebrates after scoring a century. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

Warner liked the look of Pakistan the first time he played them in the Dubai desert nine years ago, rattling off 133 against them and nothing has changed since.

In all he’s made six centuries in 11 Tests against them and during this time he has whistled along at a cracking pace of around 80 runs per 100 balls, spotlighting the area where he will be most missed when he retires after the Sydney Test.

This was a significant innings for Warner because it means he is home free. His decision to retire at the end of this series is now vindicated.

Bradman topped our top 10 because he was Mr 99.96. Steve Smith ran second because of the sheer weight of his numbers including an average of more than 58.

Allan Border’s statistics might not have quite matches up to some other but he played in an era where every country seemed to have a great fast bowler – or in the case of the West Indies – about seven of them.

Originally published as Craddock: David Warner’s aggression combined with productivity puts him in our best ever batsmen