The Australian opener, 30, has time and again proved that he is no less than his contemporaries, and is one of the best in the business.
In order to be rated as one of the better batsman in the world, one has to be a consistent performer for his team over a period of time and have proved one's mettle around the world. But what does it take to be counted amongst the best of your time? To be a player that is destined to join the pantheon of all-time greats.
With each passing generation, cricket has witnessed the existence of these select few individuals who tower over their peers, the most recent ones being Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting. These three were always rated as the best of their era.
In today's time, there is a well-established 'Fab Four' in world cricket comprising Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson. AB de Villiers would surely have featured in this enviable club as well but his extended injury lay-off has taken him out of the equation for now.
But the man who, most glaringly, deserves to be a part of this club too is David Warner.
The diminutive opener, who was considered a T20 specialist when he burst on to the scene, has established himself as a match-winner for Australia in all three formats of the game over the years. His hundred before lunch against Pakistan on Tuesday is a prime example of that.
Warner's explosive playing-style is such that can turn a hopeless situation into a winning one within a single session. Time and again, he has blasted the opposition out of the contest right from the outset with some stunning strokeplay. The importance of Warner to Australia gets magnified when one remembers Virender Sehwag's contribution to the success of Indian cricket.
Thus, the question arises: what makes a player the best among the best? Rahul Dravid, Kumar Sangakkara and Jacques Kallis were all great batsmen but they weren't revered the way some of their contemporaries were. Even Alastair Cook, for that matter, boasts of statistics that match Tendulkar's, but the unorthodox batsman has never been regarded as one of the best in his illustrious career.
"One distinction of the greats of all time was their ability to entertain the crowd. From Vivian Richards to Tendulkar, they all had the gift to thrill audiences," says former Indian wicketkeeper Kiran More. "There are very few people in cricket today for whose batting I would pay to watch, and Warner is one of them. He is definitely right up there with the best."
What is it, then, that sets this cohort of Kohli, Smith, Root and Williamson apart?
All four players share some striking similarities. They're all right-handed, middle-order batsmen and the captains of their respective countries, apart from Root, who is next-in-line to lead England. They are even in a similar age bracket of 26 to 28.
Is this where the 30-year-old Warner misses out, with the absence of a 'big, bright future' lying ahead?
Audiences and commentators alike tend to also search for that one shining beacon in each country. A hero to look up to. Kohli, Smith, Root and Williamson tick all the boxes to be that champion.
For example, it didn't take Kohli much time to take over the mantle from Tendulkar, to become the be-all and end-all of Indian cricket. This is, perhaps, a factor that is going against Warner right now. After Ponting and the likes hung up their boots, Smith has been hailed as the one idol that fans could look up to Down Under. And Warner seems to be slipping under the shadow of his captain.
That brings up another question: Would the opener have been talked of as the best in the world if he was representing any other nation?
Former Indian batsman Pravin Amre believes Warner's contribution to Australian cricket cannot be discounted. "An opener batting with a strike rate of above 100 and allowing his team to score close to 400 in a single day of a Test match is priceless," says Amre. "Warner's aggression at the top has set up innumerable victories for his team over the years. With the Australians going through a transitional phase, he has proven to be a vital cog for them."
Warner is the only batsman to feature in both the ICC Test and ODI teams of 2016. He might not make it to the elite four-member club today but one thing is certain, he is quietly making space for himself amongst the all-time greats.
WARNER IN NUMBERS
| Format |
Mat |
Runs |
HS |
Avg |
SR |
100/50 |
| Tests |
59 |
5093 |
253 |
49 |
78 |
17/22 |
| ODIs |
88 |
3579 |
178 |
43 |
95 |
11/16 |
| T20s |
63 |
1686 |
90* |
28 |
140 |
0/12 |
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