Warner’s Bancroft analysis was spot on – and proves he’ll give a big bang for his buck in the commentary box

David Warner may have retired from international cricket but he hasn’t lost any of his big shots.

A mauler as an opening batsman, Warner has taken the same chin first attitude into the commentary box with Fox Cricket, bringing welcome insights from within the Australian team, offering clear analysis, and sprinkling it with a touch of humour.

Not that it stopped the vocal anti-Warner lobby from lining up on social media to offer the same cutting assessment of his commentary that they recently did with his batting.

It was open season from the moment Warner lined-up with Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan for the start of the season’s first international, a one-day match against Pakistan at the MCG last Monday.

But Warner’s technical assessment of Cameron Bancroft offered the clearest indication yet of why the West Australian has failed to crack the Test team after being the most prolific batsman in Sheffield Shield cricket across the previous two seasons.

Bancroft is out of the running for the rapidly approaching five-Test series against India. The 31-year-old has made 0, 0, 8, 2, 0 and 16 in the Sheffield Shield and for Australia A to start the season.

Warner claimed Bancroft struggled against quality fast bowling due to his poorly placed front foot, which points towards the off side when driving and defending.

“There’s no air speed at the moment in Shield cricket, and you’re playing at venues that don’t bounce,” Warner explained, highlighting the relative lack of pace in Australian first-class cricket.

“With Cameron Bancroft, his foot’s still out to point. If someone was bowling 145 kmh, he’s still going to make the same mistake.

“In my eyes, it’s about his front foot being pointed out to point. When there’s faster air speed, when the bowlers are bowling faster, he’s going to get rolled through, LBW or he’ll get caught in the slips cordon.
“He had that trouble when he was playing for Australia.”

In ten Tests between 2017 and 2019 Bancroft averaged 26.

And Warner pitched up Nathan McSweeney, 25, to fill the hole at the top of the Australian order now that Steve Smith has slipped back down to No. 4 in place of the injured Cameron Green.

“McSweeney’s a talent,” Warner said. “They can run the gauntlet with him opening the batting. I know he bats No. 3 for South Australia, but I think there’s leadership qualities there as well.”

McSweeney (1545 runs at 42.92) is third behind Bancroft (1733 at 48.14) and Beau Webster (1685 at 51.06) with the number of Shield runs scored from the start of the 2022-23 season.

Just as importantly McSweeney was the leading run scorer in the recent Australia A v India A four-day match in Mackay. The South Australia and Australia A captain made 39 and 88 not out, taking the A team to a seven-wicket victory.

A relaxed Warner showed self-deprecating humour with his fellow commentators, including an exchange involving Mark Howard and Kerry O’Keeffe.

“If it’s happened on a cricket field, Kerry will know that it’s happened,” Howard said.

“I saw him with a 96-page booklet over there, he was writing in it and using a permanent marker. I looked to the side and there was another six of those books,’ Warner laughed in reply. “I’m like, ‘have I done my research here’?”

“It’s light reading, David, don’t worry,” O’Keeffe cackled. “You lost me at reading,” Warner responded, much to the delight of his fellow commentators.

Not that Warner needs the comfort of the commentary box to say what he thinks.

After finally having his captaincy ban lifted by Cricket Australia six years after it was imposed following Sandpapergate in an emotional overreaction by the CA board, Warner took the opportunity to take aim at CA for failing to support their umpires in a ball tampering furore involving India A.

“The ultimate decision is with CA isn’t it?,” Warner said at a press conference in Sydney on Wednesday announcing his appointment as captain of the Sydney Thunder for this season.

“I think they (CA) have obviously squashed it as fast as they could, given that India is coming out here this summer. But if the umpires deemed something happened, I am sure there will be a follow up. I think the umpires or the match referee should be standing here answering questions.”

The whole incident smacked of Monkeygate during the 2007-08 season when Indian spinner Harbajhan Singh was accused of calling Andrew Symonds a monkey. Symonds had a West Indian birth father.

Harbhajan was found guilty at an ICC hearing but India threatened to quit the tour, which would have bankrupted Cricket Australia given India provide most of cricket’s income through television rights.

Harbhajan was subsequently cleared on appeal after CA failed to support Symonds.