australia cricket news Cameron ,selectors to replace David Warner

australia cricket news Cameron 

Cameron Bancroft insists a specialist opener will be best placed to take over from the retiring David Warner, with experience at the top crucial in a role difficult to believe.

Australia have named an unchanged 13-man squad for this week's third Test against Pakistan at the SCG, but crunch time is coming in trying to replace David Warner as he bids farewell to the Test arena.

Cameron Bancroft is among the main contenders, with selectors to decide ahead of the Adelaide Test against the West Indies on January 17.

Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw could also make a fair claim for the job, but coach Andrew McDonald has refused to rule out going with a non-specialist opener instead.

Macdonald left the door open for Cameron Greene to replace Warner on Saturday, while another batsman could theoretically move up top to allow Greene to return to the Test line-up.

But when asked whether it would be an easy task for a specialist opener, Bancroft was adamant.

"Yes, absolutely," Bancroft said.

“I have opened the batting in Shield cricket for over 10 years. Not an easy place to bat.

"It comes with challenges, and my whole career I've been solving problems trying to find ways to improve in these kinds of situations.

“Some players have changed and gone and started batting and done really well. But not everyone raises their hands to open the batting.

"I think it's probably a specialist position and it's definitely a really challenging one. But also a very rewarding one."

Bancroft's comments come after Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer and Mike Hussey each made similar arguments this week.

If Australia go with a specialist opener, Cameron Bancroft has made the strongest case of any contender in recent years.

He was the leading run scorer in last summer's Sheffield Shield with 945 runs at an average of 59.06 and topped the charts again this season with 512 runs at an average of 56.88.

Both Harris and Renshaw were part of the Australian squad at the time, while Bancroft has not featured since being dropped for the 2019 Ashes series.

I've had some conversations [with selectors] over the last 12 months and asked some questions about what I can do to improve," Cameron Bancroft said.

“I always want to improve and be better. I wanted this response from them.

"But I guess it always comes down to scoring runs, so whatever format I play in I just try to go out and do my best."

Bancroft is also hopeful that a run in the BBL will help his cause with Sydney Thunder playing games against the Hobart Hurricanes and Perth Scorchers ahead of the Adelaide Test.

The opener is the competition's second-leading run-scorer, with 181 in his first five games.

Runs are runs,” Bancroft said.

“There is no red ball cricket, obviously. So coming out and playing in the Big Bash is the format I can play right now.

“The selectors have always talked about players getting runs and things like that and that run count. And I would agree with that.

“Anybody in a position to go to the next level, you want them to make runs. I have tried to do that in whatever format the game is played.

"Hopefully it puts me in a position to be selected."
The selectors on Sunday confirmed there would be no changes from the group that won the second Test against Pakistan in Melbourne by 79 runs, as they follow up a 3-0 clean sweep of the series at the SCG starting on Wednesday.

This means Scott Boland will remain in the extended squad as the fourth fast bowler, while all-rounder Green will also be part of the group.

Coach Andrew Macdonald indicated that his trio of fast bowlers - captain Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood - had progressed well from the win at the MCG with a gap of four days between Tests.

"They're well past this stage," MacDonald said Saturday.

“When we sat in the changeroom (on Friday), the reaction from the body side was good.

"In two days, we'll probably have a better handle on it."

Australia squad for Sydney Test: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschran, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner.