NEW DELHI: Former Australian opener
Matthew Hayden
has endorsed
Matt Renshaw
as the ideal candidate to fill the opening position in
Test cricket
following
David Warner
's retirement.
As Cricket Australia prepares to announce its Test squad for the upcoming series against West Indies starting on January 17, Renshaw, with an average of 29.31 from 14 Tests, is in contention for the role.
He faces competition from specialist openers Marcus Harris and
Cameron Bancroft
, as well as non-specialist openers
Cameron Green
and Steve Smith, as they vie to partner with Usman Khawaja at the top in the post-Warner era.
"David Warner has had his say in Marcus Harris and Ricky Ponting has had his say on record with (Cameron) Bancroft. I feel like a left-handed opener in Renshaw is that person with age on his side.
"He maybe doesn’t have the performances of Bancroft at first-class cricket but in many ways, I just feel like he has shown what he can potentially do, and he has that longevity. With a banker like Khawaja, given the form, maybe it’s time to look to the future and groom that individual.
"It’s a gut feel more than anything. Bancroft and Harris are a little older, and you could argue a little wiser but Renshaw gives you that youthful edge, and soon you’re going to have two new openers. I’d prefer to have one of them blooded now.
"His last opportunity in India, for goodness sake, it was horrible batting conditions. Had he played in the final Test in Ahmedabad it could have been a different script before the World Test Championship final. It could be the golden ticket to get his confidence in Test cricket. No one is necessarily banging the door down," Hayden was quoted as saying by ‘The Sydney Morning Herald’.
Hayden, who boasts an impressive average of 50.73 from 103 Tests as an opener himself, is of the opinion that
Australia
should refrain from deploying Smith as an opening batsman against the West Indies. This perspective aligns with the reservations expressed by several figures in the cricket community, including captain
Pat Cummins
and head coach Andrew McDonald, regarding the prospect of Smith opening the batting.
"It’s just not going to happen in my opinion. He has commanded so much respect in the game that we should all listen to what he has to say, but I equally think that’s not the way the Australian cricket team management will go. It certainly doesn’t sound like the way Pat will go.
"I just can’t see how strategically that (Smith opening) is going to work for Cricket Australia. They will need someone more concrete than that. When you look at the success over the last two years of this Test team, it’s been based on a very solid foundation.
"It’s been such a key structure – that number one to four set in stone has been gold for Cricket Australia. I feel it’s not the story. The story is who is going to be the next Australian opener that they’ll pick," Hayden added.
(With IANS inputs)
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