Mark Waugh Predicts Usman Khawaja's Opening Partner For Australia After David Warner's Retirement

David Warner is set to retire from red-ball cricket after the conclusion of the test series against Pakistan. Now Australia needs to find Warner’s replacement who will open the innings for Australia in test cricket. Australia has a lot of available options for who can replace the veteran opener. Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matt Renshaw all scored ample runs in the warm-up game between PM XI and Pakistan.

Specialist opener Matthew Renshaw scored a brilliant century against Pakistan during the warm-up game in Canberra last week. He is one of the top contenders for the opener’s spot when it becomes available for the series against the West Indies in January. Mark Waugh named his pick for Australia’s new opener in red-ball cricket and he made a surprising selection.

Mark Waugh acknowledged that Bancroft, Harris or Renshaw would be the first of the preferences for the opener’s role given their ability to bat at the top. However, he was uncertain about Australian selectors being convinced about the three options and he also suggested that they will need to find another replacement in a couple of years as Usman Khawaja is around the same age as Warner.

“That’s the million-dollar question. Who’s going to be opening the batting with Usman Khawaja? And he’s probably not going to be around that long either,” Waugh told foxsports.com.au “But assuming he’s still there, I guess there’s the choice of Bancroft, Harris or Renshaw, they’re the three that I guess you think of foremost. And probably Bancroft has had the best form in the last 12 to 15 months at first-class level. But I’m not sure the selectors are totally sold on all or any of those. I just think that they may be looking elsewhere.”

According to Mark Waugh, Cameron Green should be the right man for the job. Green lost his spot to all-rounder Mitchell Marsh who replaced him in the test squad midway through the Ashes 2023 after Green failed to make a mark in the series.

Mark Waugh Names Cameron Green As Australia’s New Opener In Tests

Mark Waugh noted that Cameron Green has an average of more than 50 while batting in the middle order for his first-class team and he made 46 in the PM XI match. He has effective experience facing the new ball given he had batted at No.6 for Australia in his brief test career to date.

“There’s not a lot of other options available, but I’d be seriously thinking of getting Cameron Green in to open the batting,” Waugh said. “I want him in the team because he just offers so much. He gives great balance because he bowls ten to 15 good hours, he’s a great fieldsman and I think his batting, he hasn’t quite nailed it yet, but when I (have) seen him, he’s got a good technique and he plays fast bowling well.

“And he’s batted at six so far and often you get the second new ball at six, so … I just think it could be a bit of a Shane Watson-type situation, so I’d seriously be looking at him, because I want him in the team. At the moment Mitch Marsh has obviously nailed that spot that he was in, so that’d be the way I’d possibly go.”

Mitchell Marsh is also one of the options for Australia’s next red-ball opener given he has performed extremely well as a back-up opener for Australia in the recently concluded ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Adam Gilchrist suggested that if Australia wants to recreate their own bazball then they can top it by introducing Glenn Maxwell as an opener in tests but Maxwell’s age is a big issue and he is not a viable long-term option.

The Australian team management will have to select the best replacement for David Warner and they can pick from a plethora of players including specialist openers, middle-order batters who can excel at the top, or even Marnus Labuschagne who bats at No.3 for Australia. Currently, David Warner will play three more tests and Australia have over a month to decide who is going to replace David Warner.