David Warner likely to feature in Brisbane Test against Pakistan, says Tim Paine
Australian skipper Tim Paine has backed misfiring opener David Warner and has hinted at the potential inclusion of the southpaw in the starting XI of the first Test against Pakistan. Warner had a dismal run in Ashes 2019 scoring just 95 runs from 10 innings, falling for single-digit scores 8 times.
If there ever was an example of a "walking wicket" in cricket, you could probably look back at David Warner's Ashes 2019 campaign. In what was one of the worst ever displays of batting by any batsman in recent history, the 32-year-old managed just two double-digit scores in 10 innings and was dismissed by Stuart Broad no less than seven times, almost giving away the impression that he did not want to stay in the middle.
Since then, the cries for the exclusion of Warner from the side has been vocal and now with Usman Khawaja finding sublime form in the Domestic ODI cup, the New South Welshman's place in the team does look susceptible but one person who is fully backing the opener to retain his place in the side is skipper Tim Paine. And he believes that Warner is a certain starter in the first Test at GABBA.
"I think he is," Paine told 7News when asked if the 32-year-old is guaranteed to play the first Test of the summer, against Pakistan at the Gabba on November 21.
"I think he’s got enough credits in the bank. We know how good a player he is. Opening the batting in England can be really difficult, particularly if you’re a left-hander and Stuart Broad’s bowling at you," he added.
Despite not getting runs with the bat, Warner was always a vocal presence and a livewire on the field, often motivating his teammates to keep their juices flowing. Paine has lauded that aspect of the 32-year-old, which has seen him take up the role of a leader and keep his team motivated despite going through a rough patch himself.
"That was a difficult period for David (but) the way he was around our group as a senior player was outstanding.
"It’s easy to do that when you’re going well but to have him still upbeat and still pushing others to get better when he was going through a rough patch himself was great to see," Paine said.
While the place of Warner in the team and the squad looks safe, the same cannot be said for the other two openers Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft, both of who had forgettable outings in the summer. The first of two Tests between Australia and Pakistan will commence from November 21 at the GABBA in Brisbane.
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