Australian coach Andrew McDonald has confirmed four players are vying to replace David Warner at the top of the order. After Australia’s series-sealing 79-run win over Pakistan at the MCG, McDonald said it was ‘pretty clear and obvious’ that Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris, Matt Renshaw, and Cameron Green are in the mix for the position.
McDonald confirmed that Cameron Green is firmly in the mix for a move up the batting order. He mentioned that all angles will be considered, and the four players will be discussed as they lead into the West Indies game.
He also pointed out that Green’s lack of red-ball experience opening the batting wouldn’t be marked against him, as there have been past success stories of players excelling in the position despite limited prior experience as openers.
McDonald acknowledged that it would be a difficult juggling act to move players from successful positions, especially with incumbent batters Travis Head and Marsh reportedly less than keen to make the switch themselves.
Regardless of who is chosen for the first Test against the West Indies, Warner’s shoes promise to be big ones to fill. McDonald emphasized that the 37-year old, who has made the fifth-most Test runs by an Australian, is ‘our best ever three-format player’ and ensuring he receives a fitting farewell from the Test arena will be challenging.
McDonald said that Warner’s send-off will be a focus after the series with Pakistan, and he should get all the credit that he deserves on the way out. He also mentioned that Warner will still be involved in Australian cricket, so it’s not a final goodbye.