Opening in Tests is a specialist position: Cameron Bancroft

For the longest time, David Warner has been a beacon of light for Australia in the opening position. Even though things around him changed, he never was, and that allowed the team management to take punts on many openers, viz Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns, Matt Renshaw, and Marcus Harris. 

Now that Warner is retiring, it has brought a big question mark to the entire process, with Australia needing two solid openers for the long haul. While Warner has recommended Marcus Harris for the role, head coach Andrew McDonald revealed that the final decision will be taken just before the December 18 deadline, when Australia are scheduled to host West Indies for a two-match Test series.

When Bancroft was asked about the vacant position and should a non-opener be elevated for the role, the Western Australian claimed that a specialist should be considered to take over the spot.

"I've opened the batting in Shield cricket for over 10 years. It's not an easy place to bat.  It comes with challenges, and my whole career I've problem-solved trying to find ways to flourish in those sort of circumstances,” Bancroft told AAP.

"Some players have switched and gone and opened the batting and done really well. But not everyone puts their hand up to go and open the batting. I feel like it probably is a specialist position and it's certainly a really challenging one. But a very rewarding one as well."

Among all incumbent openers in Test cricket, Bancroft has led the way by being the highest run-scorer for the last two seasons of Sheffield Shield. Since being dropped after a poor 2019 Ashes, Bancroft hasn’t played for Australia, but he now comes back as a leading contender.

"I've had some conversations [with selectors] over the last 12 months or so and asked some questions about what I can do to improve," Bancroft said.  "I'm always looking to improve and get better. I wanted that feedback from them.

"But I guess it always comes down to scoring runs, so I've just tried to go out and do the best I can no matter what format of the game that I've been playing. Selectors have always talked about players scoring runs and things like that, and that runs count. And I'd agree with that.

"Anyone that's in a position to go to the next level, you want them to be scoring runs. I've just tried to tried to do that no matter what format of the game.  Hopefully that puts me in a position to be selected."