Ashes 2019 | Pick your best batsmen irrespective of whether they're right or left-handed, Allan Border tells Australia
Allan Border feels Australia should pick their best six batsmen for the upcoming Ashes series, regardless of whether they’re right or left handed. With David Warner returning to the top of the order, Australia will almost certainly have four left handers in their top five batsmen.
The Aussies will have a chance to get some payback for the World Cup semi-final humbling, on August 1 in Birmingham. A southpaw himself, Border, was quick to jump on the matter of team selection. He rightly noted that when a batting lineup is right-hander dominated, no one bats an eye, unlike when a team filled with left-handers.
"The top three batsmen are left-handers, which is not necessarily the wrong thing. A lot of people jump up and down about picking too many left-handers but if they are your best players then go with them. If they were right-handers, no one would say anything," Border told Fox Sports in Australia, reported IANS.
Border revealed his first-choice team to foxsports.com.au. Warner, who will be playing his first Test since March 2018, opens the batting with the young Marcus Harris. It is Usman Khawaja who will follow in at no.3. Border’s playing XI for the first test is as follows: David Warner, Marcus Harris, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Matthew Wade/Marnus Labuschagne, Tim Paine (c, wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood.
As is evident, the former captain is split on whom to play at six. While Wade has been in top form, Labuschagne offers the option of a part-time leg spinner.
"I'd be very tempted to go with Wade. You talk about picking the guys in form, and he's in great form. (Marnus) Labuschagne might get that guernseys in that he can bowl some pretty handy leg-spin and he's good in the field too. Wade can bowl some medium pace. He can get it through alright, you could sling him half a dozen overs if you had to here and there," Border said.
However, the message is clear to the team management: don’t play an all-rounder at No.6! Instead, Border wants the team to go with a proper batsman.
"I wouldn't go the all-rounder at No.6. I'd pick a straight out-and-out batsman. England's conditions are a bit softer underfoot and temperature-wise. There's not as much physicality and stress on the bowlers," he added.
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