New Delhi, Oct 23 Former Australia Test captain Tim Paine believes veteran left-handed opener David Warner is the best white-ball batter the country has ever produced. Warner recently smashed 163 in Australia’s vital 62-run victory over Pakistan in their last Men’s ODI World Cup game.
He also became the first batter ever to score three scores of 150 or more in the history of the tournament.“I would say, regardless of whether he keeps his current form up, he's at the top, the very top. I would say he is the best white-ball batter Australia's ever had. Ever.”
“I'm putting him very, very close to the top ODI batter as well. I don't think there'd be too many batters that would average more in One Day International cricket than David Warner (45.37). I know that one of them is Mike Hussey who batted down the order for a lot (of his career). He'd have more not outs so his average is likely to be higher,” said Paine on SEN Radio.
He also thinks Warner’s record in ODIs betters the numbers of former captain and two-time World Cup winning captain Ricky Ponting. “David Warner has played around 150 games and scored about 6500 ODI runs. Ricky Ponting scored more than 13,000 (13,589 ODI runs), but he played over 370 (374 games), that’s more than double. He averaged about 41 (41.81).”
“David Warner is averaging about 45 or 46 as we speak (45.37). I would imagine of all the people on that top run-scorer list, his strike rate would be far superior (than most). He’s the best white-ball better we’ve had. Top of the tree.”
Paine expects that with Travis Head poised to return to Australia’s playing eleven against Netherlands in New Delhi on Wednesday, he will partner Warner at the top, with Mitchell Marsh going to number three.
“That was a master class of batting (against Pakistan). Not just from David Warner, from the pair of them. I thought David Warner sort of set the tone. But boy, Travis Head I think will come in for the next game.”
“So, Mitch Marsh will go to three, but I really like the right- and left-hand combination and I like the differences in Warner and Marsh. One is 5 foot (7), one is 6 foot (4). They hit the ball to different areas, they complement each other really well,” he concluded.
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