'For Over 10 Years' - Controversial Bancroft Wants To Replace Warner After SCG Test
Cameron Bancroft is likely contender to replace the retiring David Warner in Tests [X.com]
The role of an opener in a Test is of paramount importance that in the long run could impact the result of the match.
Australia's leading opener David Warner will hang up his boots after the upcoming Sydney Test against Pakistan, opening up a slot at the top order, for which head coach Andrew McDonald has hinted about a potential non-specialist batter occupying the position.
One of the main contenders for Warner's place is out-of-favour opener Cameron Bancroft, who has been churning out runs in domestic cricket and last played a Test for Australia in 2019.
Bancroft, who faced a ban for his role in the infamous 'Sandpaper Gate' fiasco, stated that a proper opener is better suited to fill in Warner's spot in the XI than a make-shift one.
Here's what Bancroft said
"Yeah, absolutely. I've opened the batting in Shield cricket for over 10 years. It's not an easy place to bat. It comes with challenges, and my whole career I've problem-solved trying to find ways to flourish in those sort of circumstances. Some players have switched and gone and opened the batting and done really well. But not everyone puts their hand up to go and open the batting. I feel like it probably is a specialist position and it's certainly a really challenging one. But a very rewarding one as well."
Speaking to AAP, the 31-year-old expressed his hope of making a comeback into the national side for the upcoming two-Test series against West Indies, having scored heaps of runs in Sheffield Shield over the past two seasons.
"Runs are runs. There's no red-ball cricket, obviously. So coming out and playing in the Big Bash is the format of the game that I can play in right now. Selectors have always talked about players scoring runs and things like that, and that runs count. And I'd agree with that. Anyone that's in a position to go to the next level, you want them to be scoring runs. I've just tried to tried to do that no matter what format of the game. Hopefully that puts me in a position to be selected."
However, Bancroft is facing stiff competition from Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw, who have also been scoring plenty of runs in domestic cricket.
 "Vishal Mehra")
