Former Australia captain Tim Paine has dismissed David Warner’s offer to come out of retirement for the Test team, insisting the batter is ‘not serious’ and has ‘wound everyone up a treat’.
It has been clear for some time that Steve Smith wishes to return to number four in Australia’s batting order, which has left selectors in a quandary ahead of the side’s five-match series at home to India, starting next month.
Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris, Matthew Renshaw and teenage sensation Sam Konstas have all been tipped as potential opening partners for Usman Khawaja.
And with in-form options thin on the ground, veteran batsman Warner sent a surprise come-and-get-me plea to Australian head coach Andrew McDonald, despite calling time on his illustrious Test career earlier this year.
‘I’m always available, just got to pick up the phone,’ Warner – the Baggy Greens’ fifth-highest run scorer of all time – told Code Sports.
‘I’m always dead serious. Let’s be honest, the guys have played one red-ball game since their last Test matches in February, so I’ve almost had the same preparation.
‘Honestly, if they really needed myself for this series, I’m more than happy to play the next Shield game and go out there and play.’
Speculation over a potential comeback for Warner at the top of the order has dominated the back pages Down Under in the wake of the 37-year-old’s shock revelation.
However, Australian selectors are reluctant to return to Warner and Paine is adamant his former team-mate’s offer was never genuine.
‘If I was writing you a text message it would have the fishing rod emoji because that is what David is doing,’ Paine – who captained Australia for 23 Tests between 2018 and 2021 – told SEN Tassie.
‘He’s going fishing and everyone has bitten down hard. Not only have they taken the bait, they’ve eaten the rod and chewed off half his arm at the same time.
‘David is retired, he will not be playing in the next Shield game or any more Test cricket for Australia. That was clear when he retired.
‘But what he has got is one of the great knacks of saying something and people just biting down on it so well done to him, I think he’s played everyone beautifully.
‘He says he’s dead serious but he’s not dead serious.’
Paine added: ‘He’s wound everyone up a treat. It’s worked and everyone continues to bite on it.
‘He has a great knack of creating news, that’s why he signed on to Fox.
‘He’s going to be great in the commentary box because he’s prepared to have a crack, say what he thinks and he’s a bit like Warney [Shane Warne] in that what he says will create headlines.
‘He retired. It’s done. It’s all over. We can stop worrying about it.’
Speaking to The Grade Cricketer earlier this week, Australia skipper Pat Cummins shut down talk of a sensational return for Warner at the top of the order alongside Khawaja.
‘Dave, we’re very interested. We’re taking it very seriously and we’ll be in touch, mate,’ a grinning Cummins said with his tongue firmly in his cheek.
‘I did speak to Dave a couple of days ago. I can’t remember if he reached out or I did… he’s like, “What do you think?”, and I was like, “Yeah, good luck with [Sydney] Thunder and I look forward to your comments on Fox!”.
Cummins declared his ‘love’ for Warner but agreed with Paine that the batter’s comments were meant as ‘a bit of a wind-up’
‘I think the truth’s somewhere in the middle,’ he added.
‘I reckon it is a bit of a wind-up but I reckon he doesn’t mind seeing himself in the back page.
‘We love Davey but he is retired.’
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