David Warner seeking consistency in how, and where, he bats as he aims for Ashes selection

Bully for little Davey. I have always taken the view that there is so much wrong with the administration of Australian cricket than to worry about deluded players. But todays suck-up piece in the Daily Telegraph by Carly Adno is too good a half volley to allow to go through to the keeper. Until David accepts that he is the author of his own failure to capitalise on his extraordinary natural ability he will continue to delude himself and disappoint his fans: Item 1: All David Warner wants is some clarity. The 26-year-old accepts his form isnt as consistent as it should be, but that doesnt make it any less frustrating to be shuffled up and down the batting order, then pushed out of it altogether. Comment: 1. To use an analogy, until an alcoholic admits he is an alcoholic the problem wont be fixed. Consistency is a euphemism for failing far too often. Until David accepts he has failed too often he wont address his problems. 2. If David scored the runs he should have there would be no reason to shuffle him up and down the order. He should thank his lucky stars he was given another chance down the order. He should not have been reinstated when he was. Item 2: Sure, some of it was his own-doing. His punch on England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar led to a suspension, which meant he wasnt considered for selection for the first two Ashes Tests given he hadnt played any cricket. Comment: Forget the tears. He should have been sent home. Mind you the way he sledges on the field he should have been suspended well before this. Item 3: But when he returned to England after a stint with Australia A in South Africa where he smashed 193 - no one was able to decide where he should bat. Comment: Nonsense. Watson is the best opener in the country and Rogers had done very well. There was no place for Warner as an opener. He was lucky to be given a chance at six. If anyone should be whingeing its Phil Hughes. He didnt deserve to be dropped for Warner. Item 4: The frustrating thing comes when I didnt play cricket for 30 or 40 days when I was over in England, then went over to South Africa to score some runs and I was back in the team batting at six. Then the next innings Im opening and then Im back (the following Test) opening. You always want that clarity when youre there.

Comment: What a sook. Most players on tours of England who arent selected for the first couple of Tests sit around for months and play the odd meaningless game. Warner should be grateful he was given a chance to regain some form in South Africa and that Phil Hughes was unfairly dropped for him. Watson is the one who should be screaming that he was replaced by Warner as opener in the second innings of the Third Test and subsequent Tests. Item 5: Warner was then dropped from the one-day squad in England and told he needs to score more runs in the Ryobi Cup and Sheffield Shield. He was also left out of the Australian side to play seven ODIs in India next month. They said to me that my form wasnt up to scratch and I know that personally - Ive got to be a bit more consistent, which Ive always known. Comment: Forget consistency. Warner needs to score the runs his talent dictates he should. Item 6: After travelling on and off for the last 18 months Warner is enjoying an extended period at home. He took the opportunity to go on holiday with his new girlfriend Candice Falzon (who accompanied him to this interview) and has been working on his batting with Sydney Thunder coach Chandika Hathurusinghe. Comment: Warner should forget the coaches. He has had more coaches over the last four years than Greyhound. Technical flaws can be fixed by the occasional chat with a fellow team batsman. At this level, batting is about judgment of which ball to let go; which to block; which to push for one; and which to hit for four. Extensive ear-bashing from coaches on artificial pitches with throw-downs or a bowling machine is a recipe for disaster. Item 7: Its also been announced that he will return to the Thunder after spending last season at the Sixers. The people theyve got on board are fantastic. I felt there was a bit of a shemozzle the last time I was there and I didnt think things were organised as well as they should have been, but now it looks like everythings intact. With Mike Hussey there as well a world class player and a lot of kids who aspire to be a guy like Mike Hussey - its amazing to play with him. Comment: 1. I felt there was a bit of a shemozzle the last time I was there. Warner is kidding. It was widely reported in season-one he was paid well over $100,000 and yet he played only one game and scored 102 not out. And it wasnt even at his home ground so he cant even whinge about the dinner which was served or the state of the pitch at the ANZ Stadium. 2. In season-two it was reported that the Thunder, Cricket Australia, CNSW and ANZ Stadium offered him a package of about double his first year payment by for one game and some PR work. But that wasnt enough because he thought as the self-imposed face of T/20, he should be paid as much as Shane Warne which reportedly was over half a million dollars. Then, after weeks of negotiations, he changed his management company.

The fact that the Thunder refused to give his new management company an extra lick of the lolly by allowing them to negotiate on behalf of overseas players, and wouldnt give him a say in local players who should be contracted, may also be a reason why he left the Thunder. David, shut up, grow up and start producing the scores your talent suggests you should. Until then, Id like to buy you at my price and sell you at yours.

Bruce Francis 25 September 2013