Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine considers David Warner the best white-ball batter Australia has ever produced.
The opener made 163 in Australia’s critical 62-run victory over Pakistan in their last World Cup clash. In doing so he became the first batter ever to score three scores of 150 or more in cricket’s biggest tournament.
Warner sits seventh all-time in Australia’s ODI run-scoring list and second in the nation’s T20I run-scoring list and Paine thinks that overall contribution has him above other all-time greats.
Of batsmen that have more than 20 ODI innings, Warner sits fourth all-time for Australia in terms of ODI batting average at 45.37.
The three ahead of him are Michael Bevan (53.50), Michael Hussey (48.15) and Adam Voges (45.78), who all batted in the middle order and have more not outs to their names.
“I would say, regardless of whether he keeps his current form up, he's at the top, the very top,” Paine said on SEN Tassie Breakfast.
“I would say he is the best white-ball batter Australia has ever had. Ever.
“I'm putting him very, very close to the top ODI batter as well.
”I don't think there'd be too many batters that would average more in One Day International cricket than David Warner (45.37).
“I know that one of them is Mike Hussey who batted down the order for a lot (of his career). He'd have more not outs so his average is likely to be higher.”
In terms of ODIs specifically, Ricky Ponting is renowned as Australia’s greatest in the format with the bat, but Paine thinks Warner’s record stacks up alongside the former captain.
Warner also has the best strike rate of any Australian ODI batter to score more than 5,000 runs except for Adam Gilchrist who he trails 96.89 to 96.82.
“David Warner has played around 150 games and scored about 6500 ODI runs,” Paine said.
“Ricky Ponting scored more than 13,000 (13,589 ODI runs), but he played over 370 (374 games), that’s more than double. He averaged about 41 (41.81).
“David Warner is averaging about 45 or 46 as we speak (45.37). I would imagine of all the people on that top run-scorer list, his strike rate would be far superior (than most).
“He’s the best white-ball better we’ve had. Top of the tree.”
Warner will hope to keep his strong form going when Australia face the Netherlands on Wednesday in Delhi as they look to go 3-2 from five games.