"Would be difficult for a player like Mitch Marsh" - Michael Hussey hopes for a traditional opener to replace David Warner in Tests
Former Australian middle-order batter Michael Hussey believes Mitchell Marsh will find it hard to replace David Warner at the top of the order in Test cricket. Instead, the West Australian believes a traditional opener should be brought in to replace Warner.
With Warner likely to retire from Test cricket after the ongoing series against Pakistan, Cricket Australia are already on the lookout for candidates. Mitch Marsh emerged as a contender but said that taking up the role "doesn't make sense" to him.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Hussey identified that opening the innings is a specialist job and that only an experienced batsman must replace Warner. The 48-year-old reckons Marsh should stay in the middle order.
As quoted by ESPN Cricinfo, he said:
"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. 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."
The leading contenders to open the innings are Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw, and Marcus Harris. While Bancroft and Renshaw have continued piling runs in first-class cricket, Harris shone in the recent practice match against Pakistan.
"It's a tough job for the selectors" - Michael Hussey
Michael Hussey also hopes that the selectors give an opportunity to players who have been dominating the Sheffield Shield competition to increase the weightage of the competition. He added:
"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."
"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."
Warner, meanwhile, will retire with over 8000 Test runs under his belt and has already mustered 26 centuries, the most recent of which came in the first Test against Pakistan this month.
The 37-year-old smashed 164 from 211 balls in the first innings as Australia recorded a huge 360-run victory.