Former Australian Test captain Ian Chappell has urged the selectors to hand Will Pucovski a Baggy Green in the first Test against India this summer.
Pucovski has thrust his name into the selection mix after a prolific start to the Sheffield Shield season, with two double-centuries for Victoria.
The precocious 22-year-old's run of form comes as David Warner's incumbent partner, Joe Burns, has struggled to start the domestic season.
Chappell was left scratching his head after the selectors had involved Warner in the selection process of his opening partner, but said the case for Pucovski was as strong as ever.
"That's ridiculous to ask David Warner who he wants as a partner," he told Nine News.
"Really, that's another reason to pick Pucovski now because you've got a very good player at the other end and a very experienced player at the other end.
"You pick a guy at the best time for him to succeed, well there's no better time for him to succeed than when he's coming off the back of a couple of double-hundreds.
Find out if he can cope with it at the next level. If he can't, it'll be very sad. If he succeeds, you've got him for the next 10 and maybe even 15 years as a really good player. Burns isn't your future."
Chappell's comments echoed those of former skipper Ricky Ponting who also questioned selector Trevor Hohns' call to consult Warner on the selection.
"I'm surprised they're even asking him, to be honest," Ponting told cricket.com.au.
"I know what they're talking about because they have done well when they've played together. It's an interesting thing for a selector to come out and say.
"At the end of the day, they've just got to pick who they think the best player is. And if they think their best player and best option is Joe Burns, then stick with him. If they think Pucovski is a better player here and now, they should go with him."
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.