Cricket news: Allan Border says David Warner underrated due to polarising public reputation

Cricketing great Allan Border has defended David Warner’s status in the game, citing the opener’s polarising public reputation as the reason his feats are not appreciated.

David Warner of Australia walks onto the field to bat during day one of the First Test match between Australia and South Africa at The Gabba.

Allan Border has urged Australia not to discard David Warner until it is convinced it has found the man to replace him.

According to The Godfather of Australian cricket, Warner deserves to be ranked as one of the country’s all-time greats.

But instead, Border feels Warner has been grossly underrated as a batsman, adamant his polarising public reputation has robbed the opener of the credit he is due.

Border admits every Test batsman “runs out of coupons” eventually, but warned that unless Warner decides to retire after the Sydney Test, selectors should think twice about casting the 36-year-old aside due to no obvious replacement bashing the door down.

“He’s built up plenty of coupons, there’s no doubt. How many he’s got left that’s a million dollar question,” Fox Cricket expert Border told News Corp.

“I wouldn’t be just discarding him. If there’s a compelling reason to move on, like there’s some young bloke in Sheffield Shield absolutely bashing the door down, that makes it a bit different.

“But I’m not 100 per cent sure that the next guy has been anointed.”

In Allan Border’s view, David Warner’s ability to play 100 matches across all three formats (he currently sits on 99 T20 internationals), is an extraordinary achievement.

Border said he would still prefer to back Warner to turn his form around on the heavy-duty tour of India in February than usher in next cab off the rank Marcus Harris who has an average of 25 from 14 Tests.

The great left-hander and doyen of Fox Cricket is also sceptical of suggestions Travis Head could be shifted to open in the subcontinent as a like-for-like replacement for Warner’s trademark aggression.

“It’s a bit of a stop gap isn’t it. I’d be sticking with David if that was the option,” Border said.

“As selectors you’ve always got to look at … are we moving onto a really high-quality long-term performer?

“Yeah, Warner is struggling a tad, but is there more there in him? You probably suspect there is. The guy is so fit. He’s not cutting corners. He’s working hard.

Allan Border says David Warner is not appreciated because of his controversial career.

“If there’s a better option, OK, but to me (there’s no one where you’re saying), ‘oh yeah, you’ve got to get this kid in — he’s ready.’”

Border unselfishly marks batters like Warner, Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting who played their entire careers in the top three under a different category to Australia’s middle-order greats such as himself.

In Border’s view, Warner’s ability to play 100 matches across all three formats (he currently sits on 99 T20 internationals), is an extraordinary achievement which has been under appreciated by the game because of his colourful career involving incidents like Joe Root and Sandpapergate.

David Warner still has plenty to offer Australia at the top of the order, says cricketing great Allan Border.

“I think there’s a bit of that. Because of the controversies, they tend to cloud out what you’ve actually achieved on the field,” Border said.

“One hundred matches in the three formats, that speaks volumes for his skill level and for being able to do it fairly consistently to keep getting picked.

“In red ball cricket opening the batting, you’re in the firing line.

“Fresh fast bowlers, brand new ball in their hand, there’s a vulnerability there compared to batting at No. 5 and 6.

“I think if you take all those factors into play, I just think it’s remarkable.

“Ponting batting at No. 3 is incredible what he’s done. I look at Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, those guys. At the top of the order you’re right in the firing line and to produce what they’ve done against good bowling attacks, it’s pretty special.

“But the rest of us batting down the order, it’s not quite as hard when you’re not facing the brand new ball when you first go in.

“Hats off to those guys in the engine room.”