• Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Travis Head has been the most highlighted name in the Australian cricket circuit over the past few months and he got special acknowledgment from many after his heroics against India in the final of the ODI World Cup 2023.

Head is currently an all-format player for Australia and remains a key player for the team as he is quite versatile in fulfilling the roles while batting anywhere in the order.

However, Head is not so keen to be an opening batter in the longest version of the game as he believes that opening the batting in Test cricket is a "specialist job".

With the regular opener David Warner nearing his retirement from Test cricket, there are so many talks over the potential replacement with Head being one of the contenders but the star batter has already ruled himself out of contention to replace the veteran for the challenging role.

 

ALSO READ: Australian Head Coach Reaffirms Alex Carey As ‘No 1 Test Choice’ After Wicket Keeper’s ‘Surprise’ ODI World Cup Exclusion

 

Head was magnificent while opening the batting in the World Cup as he powered Australia to the title victory with spectacular batting at the top of the order.

It's his versatility and attacking intent that drive everyone towards him to succeed the veteran opener Warner who is set to retire after the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald recently hinted that replacing Warner may not come down to a straight like-for-like opening batter.

Head had replaced an injured Warner in the Test series in India earlier this year, where he counterattacked the new ball to average 55.75 across five innings.

But the left-handed batter seems to be more comfortable in the middle-order where he has been putting consistent performances over the past two years.

He believes that Warner's replacement should be one of those who have been preparing for that for a long while which includes former Test openers Cameron Bancroft, Matthew Renshaw, and Marcus Harris who all played in the Prime Minister's XI game against Pakistan last week.

"[Selectors are] happy with me in the middle order," said Head ahead of the first Test against Pakistan starting on Thursday. "I think [opening] it's a specialist job. The guys that have been waiting to get into the team for a while deserve the first crack at it. But the conversations are ongoing with everyone...only one for me is [opening in] the subcontinent. I don't see myself moving around too much in the future."

Head will now switch to focus on Test cricket as he remains the only player from Australia's title-winning World Cup team to play until the end of the five-match T20I series against India that followed.

Head wasn't part of the first two T20Is but played the final three games but failed to capitalise on strong starts in each of the three innings.

While the other Aussie players returned home to either rest or play in the Sheffield Shield ahead of the Test summer, Head was up for the challenge at the top of the order in the shortest version as he aims to be part of Australia's line-up at next year's T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA.

 

ALSO READ: Virat Kohli Will Play 'Major Role' In Tests Against South Africa, Feels Jacques Kallis

 

"I'm not a lock for that T20 World Cup, so I wanted to present and try to perform and try and get myself in that team. We felt like that was the greater opportunity to play the three T20s [than Shield]," Head said. "We haven't got many T20 opportunities coming up over the next little bit, so it was sort of that last chance to press my claims to make sure that I'm in the mix."