“No blanket rule”: Pat Cummins believes an opening specialist is not necessary to replace David Warner.

There have been numerous conversations about David Warner’s possible replacement ever since he declared his intention to retire from Test cricket. For the Ashes Tour, Marcus Harris was called up, leaving Cameron Bancroft and Matt Renshaw as the only two possibilities. Curiously, head coach Andrew McDonald suggested that Cameron Green, who is presently out of the lineup after Mitchell Marsh took his spot, could be assigned to open ahead of the three-match series against Pakistan. Speaking about the whole thing, Australia captain Pat Cummins said he won’t be upset if the selectors decide against selecting a specialist opener for the forthcoming series against the West Indies.

The 30-year-old pointed out that Usman Khawaja wasn’t always an opening specialist and that he believes others can adjust given the opportunity. “Until it was essentially the only slot available in the team and he forced his way in, Uzzy (Usman Khawaja) wasn’t a specialist (opener). Although it’s not a hard-and-fast rule, it would be ideal if you had someone with opening experience. “Every case is unique, in my opinion,” the West Australian reported him saying.

“Rather than selecting their best batter, you probably feel more of a chance (to get their wicket) if someone has been selected for the opening position but has a poor record. It’s not a major deal, in my opinion. Everyone hacks and shuffles a little bit; it’s just a batting position,” Cummins continued.

Warner’s comeback is made possible by Pat Cummins.

Cummins also mentioned David Warner’s return to Test cricket. Significantly, the southpaw will play his last red-ball match against Pakistan, which is scheduled to start at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on January 3. The Australian captain spoke ahead of time, saying he will call Warner if necessary but that it is time to give others an opportunity in the longest format.

It’s probably time to give a few more people a chance. However, given that he will still be playing cricket, it might be better to have a break-glass on hand in case of emergency. You never know where he’s going to score runs in the world,” Cummins remarked.