‘I have always played to put bums on seats’: David Warner names his replacement for Australia in Test cricket

The entire buildup to the 2023 Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground has been about one man in Australia. Approaching a probable retirement from the longest format of the game, David Warner has been the name on everyone’s lips in the ongoing three-match Test series against Pakistan.

The end of day one of the second Test even saw the southpaw name his potential replacement in the side. But before, an explaination from the man himself on his playing mantra.

“I have always played the way that I have to entertain and to put bums on seats. I think that is important, giving back and making sure the fans are getting what they paid for,” Warner said.

“I think it is important and I think the selectors will continue to do this. We’ve got players like Travis Head, you’ve got Mitch Marsh and Cameron Green, guys who actually like going after the ball,” he added before naming the player he thought was next in line to accompany Usman Khawaja as the other Australian opener in Tests.

“I feel like the person who has worked their backside off and has been there for a while in the background (is Marcus Harris). Harry’s been that person who has toured (and) he scored that 100 the other day and missed out in another couple of games but he’s always been the person who’s next in line,” Warner said.

Already having 14 Test matches under his belt, Marcus Harris has averaged just above 25 at the international stage but has been in good nick of late. Feauturing for Victoria XI in the warm up game against Pakistan, Harris scored 126 off 131 balls at Junction Oval ahead of the Melbourne Test.

On his aggressive batting approach though, Warner added that Cricket Australia would have to place bets on talent coming through from the shorter format of the game to ensure ticket sales and the relevancy of the sport down under.

“How are we going to find these guys coming through? You’re going to find them in the Big Bash. It’s going to be a gutsy call to put someone out there in the middle, a bit like what they did with me, and experiment,” Warner said.

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Being put in to bat first by Pakistan in the second Test, Australia managed to score 187/3 on a day marred by rain. Warner, who’d scored a match-winning 164 in the first Test, could only muster 38 before he fell to Salman Agha.

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