Warner Arrives With a Bang

What a way to start your international career! Plucked from the relative obscurity of having only played a handful of one day games for New South Wales and having had no first class experience, David Warner started his 20/20 international career like a man who had a 100 caps to his name.

The selection of Warner by Australia seemed like a throwback to a bygone era. Imagine playing for your local club side, doing quite well, and then suddenly being picked for your national side. That is not far off what happened to young Warner.

In Ntini's second over Warner announced himself with a massive six over deep midwicket. Next ball goes for another six, this time over the deep square leg boundary. The final ball of the over is pitched up and a thick edge produces four more runs. If South Africa didn't know much about him before this match, they certainly do now.

One of the reasons Warner was identified as a 20/20 specialist is his ability to hit the ball cleanly over the top and he demonstrated this regularly over the course of his manic innings of 89 off 43 balls.

What is refreshing about Warner is his uncomplicated approach to the game. Here is a man who has not been overly coached and this shows in his game. He has a very good eye and picks up the ball very early. He hits the ball in a similar way to Andrew Flintoff, in a stand and deliver technique which serves others, like Virender Sehwag, so well in the one day game.

He has had an interesting last couple of months, having signed an IPL contract with the Dehli Daredevils and has a deal to use a two sided bat, which may aid some of his unorthodox shots. The IPL is a perfect stage for him to showcase his talents and also face a caliber of bowler that he is not used to.

He has definitely set himself a very high standard to live up to and it may be premature to start hyping him up after only one international match. However, to anyone who has followed his game from state level will not be surprised if he continues to succeed. The 97 he hit from 54 balls in the FR Cup last year was the innings that got selectors interested.

Many will be clamoring for him to have a run in first class cricket. While there is surely a case for this, it may also work against him. One of the advantages of not having played first class cricket is that he is an unknown quantity to opposition bowlers. Maybe Australia would do well to identify him as a 20/20 specialist and keep him like that.

Maybe the greatest effect of Warner's innings will be to give hope to all those club cricketers around the world that you should never give up hope of playing for your country.