Australian opener David Warner has recently received high praise from Pat Cummins, who called him the best three-format batter of all time for Australia. T20s have only been introduced at the international level for just over 15 years, making it a short period to determine the best all-format player for Australia. Only 32 players have played at least 20 matches in the T20I arena for Australia, and many of them were white-ball specialists who did not play Test cricket.
The best three-format XI players for Australia include David Warner, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Brett Lee. Pat Cummins praised Warner for his consistency and longevity in all three formats, calling him one of the greatest three-format players. However, despite Warner’s accomplishments, there is an Australian batter with a far superior career, Ricky Ponting. Ponting dominated Test and one-day cricket and won three ODI World Cups.
Ponting’s career was remarkable, with 27,483 runs in Australian colors, although only 401 of them came from T20s, showcasing his potential in the shortest format. Warner, on the other hand, has won three World Cup trophies and is considered one of the best Test batters of his generation.
In addition to Warner and Ponting, Steve Smith is also a notable player, although he has never dominated the white-ball arena to the same extent as in Test cricket. As Warner reaches the final stages of his career, star players like Mitchell Starc are emerging as impressive assets in all three formats. Warner is preparing to play in a Test for the final time on his home track, the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The article also discusses Warner’s selection in the Test team and the possibility of him being booed in some sections of the ground due to past controversies. Despite his troubled history, Warner’s impact on Australian cricket cannot be denied. Finally, the article mentions the upcoming series against the West Indies and New Zealand and the need to establish a new top order before the upcoming series against India.