Melbourne [Australia]: Former Australia player Michael Hussey has warned the Australian selectors against replacing David Warner with a makeshift opener, stating he would want a specialist player to open for the team that has dominated Sheffield Shield cricket to be rewarded, however the ex-batter Hussey did not name a candidate.
Hussey was speaking ahead of the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) after he and former Australia women's captain Lyn Larsen were inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
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Hussey began his Test career as an opener, scoring a century as a replacement for the injured Justin Langer in his second Test match in 2005, having made his name as an opener in first-class cricket.
Despite being one of Australia's most flexible all-format players in the three-format era, Hussey was convinced that Australia's selectors should pick a specialist opener for the first Test against West Indies in January, following Warner's retirement at the end of the Pakistan series.
"Opening is one of the toughest jobs in the game. So for me personally, if I was selecting, I'd be going for a traditional, proper opener. Someone who has done it for a long period of time. Because if you haven't done it much in your first-class career, it's going to be very difficult to come up the order," Hussey was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
"I'm not saying you can't do it, and maybe someone could evolve into doing that role. But I think it would be difficult for a player like Mitch Marsh or someone - I know there's been talk about him going up the order - I think he's probably more suited, much like Travis Head, to be in the middle-order. I think that'd be the best for the balance of the Australian team," he added.
The discussion over who should replace Warner rages on in the background, while Australia's team stays remarkably stable. The three primary specialist prospects are Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matt Renshaw. Prior to the Pakistan series, Australia coach and selector, Andrew McDonald raised some eyebrows when he suggested playing Marsh and Cameron Green in the same XI and rearranging the order to allow Marnus Labuschagne to open.
Hussey did not name his preferred candidate, but he did say Shield form should be rewarded.
"I like whoever's dominating the level below, who's been dominating in Sheffield Shield cricket over a period of time, and to be fair, they all have at various stages. So it's a tough job for the selectors. I don't want to stand here and say it should be this guy or this guy," Hussey said.
"I hope that they reward the guy that's been performing very well at Sheffield Shield cricket. I think that sends a great message to the competition. And it's great for our pathways that we're going to reward the guys that are doing well," he added.
—ANI