Former Australian opening batsman, Matthew Hayden believes that David Warner has what it takes to become the greatest Baggy Green opener of all time. The 29-year-old is currently leading the Sunrisers Hyderabad side in the on-going IPL 2016 here in India.
Hayden who is currently serving as a commentator in the same tournament has spoken to cricket.com.au about the potential of David Warner.
David Warner was previously dropped from the Australian side following his late-night squabble with England’s Joe Root, back in 2013. However, the New South Wales man has back strongly and has scored over 3,000 runs in Test cricket since his return.
He’s a joy to watch: Hayden
When asked about his take on Warner, the 44-year-old said, “I think he can be the best. He certainly knows now how to temper his performance and that's the hardest thing to learn.”
Later, Hayden added, “You can teach a lot of skills, but the mindset of a batsman is a mindset that takes time to learn.”
At 29, David Warner has already featured in 51 test matches and has scored over 4,500 runs at a scintillating average of 50.06. He has scored 16 centuries and 20 half-centuries in the process with a high score of 253.
Talking about Warner’s age, Hayden said, “That's why a lot of guys might disagree with a guy like (former Australia captain and Cricket Australia National Talent Manager) Greg Chappell, who says you can play your best cricket before you're 23.”
“I think that's complete rubbish. As a batsman you need to develop your timing,” he further explained.
The 44-year-old even compared Warner with the likes of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke. He told cricket.com.au, “You have a look at all the players that have come out of the last era, with the exception of Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke, they've all been guys who have matured into their performance.”
While talking about how the current Sunrisers captain has matured, he said, “Davey needed to mature as much as a person as he did a cricketer and he's done that. He's made that transition into a family life, into a solid member of the team and he's got the temperament to play across each format of the game.”
“He's a joy to watch. The living room in our house comes alive every time he comes on to bat. It's stop, hold the phone and watch Dave play. He's brilliant,” Hayden concluded.
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