How long until we see David Warner batting in Test matches?
More importantly, is the David Warner batting style suited to the longer form of the game? Experts, past players and administration sit on either side of the fence.
What is the value of a wicket? Ask an economist and they will tell you it’s the price of three stumps and two bails. Wiser men will tell you attempting to quantify the value of a wicket can be a futile endeavour as every batsmen, series and format of the game can cause stocks to rise and fall violently like a bad day at the ASX.
In the cricketing market, blue chip stocks such as Kallis, Tendulkar and Ponting have maintained a consistent presence on Test Street in recent decades. At the other end of the spectrum the stocks in 20-20 Town have been dominated by players such as Warner, Pollard and Gayle; short term investments capable of fast return.
Until recent times, the Australian Test Selectors have scoured Test Street for the next generation of Australian Test cricketers. Whilst maintaining a solid investment in safe havens such as Ponting and Hussey, start-ups such as Hughes and Khawaja have failed to capitalise on the flow of selection capital. With Test Street almost exhausted of investment, the Argus Review has turned its attention to 20-20 Town.
David Warner’s inclusion in to the Australian squad may be a watershed moment for Australian selection policies. In the past Warner may have grinded years at First Class level before berthing an opportunity at cricket’s Holy Grail; the Test. For a player with batting talent built on a foundation of confidence, faith from selectors may yield an exponential result in the future. Whilst some critics of the inclusion are less than convinced by the David Warner batting mentality, some forget that Matthew Hayden was tarnished by a similar brush many years ago.
This article was written prior to Warner’s team inclusion, Googlie Cricket blog are thrilled to see David Warner batting in Test matches for Australia.