‘Could easily do it’: Surprise candidate to replace Warner as new Aussie opener

An Aussie cricket legend has floated a left field candidate he says selectors shouldn’t be scared to pick to replace David Warner.

Australian cricket great Mark Waugh has floated a left field option to replace David Warner at the top of the order amid a dearth of opening batting candidates.

Warner is set to retire from Test cricket when the three-match series against Pakistan wraps up at the SCG in the New Year, but the question on everyone’s lips is who will replace him.

An unbeaten 136 from Matthew Renshaw in the PM’s XI clash with Canberra last week was the most recent statement from those looking to take Warner’s spot, with Cameron Bancroft sitting on top of the Shield run-scoring lists with 512 and two centuries.

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Speaking to news.com.au about options to replace Warner, Waugh said: “There’s no one else knocking the door down to take his spot.

“He’s going to leave a big hole in the team, no doubt about it, because he’s such a dominant and aggressive player. He sets the tone for the rest of the Test match.”

A raft of theories have been raised, with coach Andrew McDonald suggesting a reshuffle of current batters in the squad could be a left-field solution, with other pundits suggesting Mitch Marsh could move to the top of the order.

Australia’s selectors could be reluctant to move Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head given they have found their groove at No. 3 and No. 5 in the batting line-up.

Marsh is expected to be picked at No. 6 for the first Test starting on Thursday after a swashbuckling Ashes century and an excellent ODI World Cup campaign helped revive his Test career.

It’s hard to fit both Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh in the same team. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

“It’ll be interesting to see how Mitch Marsh consolidates this summer at No. 6, assuming he gets the start ahead of Cameron Green,” Waugh said.

“I’d love to see Cameron Green in the team, just because he’s a tremendous prospect — how you get him in there I’m not quite sure.”

Fitting both Green and Marsh in Australia’s XI is a tricky task, but Waugh believes the team could do a lot worse than having Green open the batting.

Green has had the busiest year of his career, playing in the Indian Premier League, the Ashes, World Test Championship, a Test series in India and the ODI World Cup.

The 24-year-old allrounder scored his maiden Test century in India and plucked a pair of superb catches in the gully in the World Test Championship final.

“I even think someone like Cameron Green — to get him into the team — I wouldn’t be scared of opening the batting with him,” Waugh said.

“I think he’s got a good technique, he plays fast bowling well. He’s scored a lot of runs in the top order at first class level.

“I think he’s a guy a bit like Shane Watson who could easily do it.

“In the short term, if the selectors aren’t confident in any of (Cameron) Bancroft, (Marcus) Harris or Renshaw — then someone like a Green could be the guy that could open later in the summer.

Could Cam Green open the batting for Australia? (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)

The allrounder has shown plenty of promise. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

“He is a little bit of a slow starter and opening the batting, the field’s in and there’s a lot of gaps that could help him get off strike early on.

“He’s been batting at No. 6 and when you bat at No. 6 you often get the second new ball anyway. I think he could handle opening the batting, no problem. That’s something to think about.”

“The next decision is the most important one once Dave goes,” coach Andrew McDonald said.

“Dave hasn’t gone yet, so we don’t have to make a decision.”

The openers most likely, in Renshaw, Bancroft and Harris, have all had Test exposure with moderate success, but McDonald would be happy to go to them again.

“We know they can play, they’ve got good numbers in Shield cricket and I think if we were to go down that path and choose one of them, I think they would do a really good job,” he said.

Waugh said: “It’s a tough one. I thought Marcus Harris was the frontrunner but he just hasn’t nailed it and made enough big scores and taken his opportunities.

“Obviously Cameron Bancroft’s been there before and done well at first class level. Apart from that, there’s a few young players floating around that haven’t really made enough runs yet.”