‘He’s not a selector’: Michael Clarke says David Warner’s support to Joe Burns has put Will Pucovski in ‘horrible situation’

While the Indian cricket fans are concerned about Indian team selection for the Test matches in Virat Kohli’s absence, the Australian cricket team are facing their own selection dilemmas. A debate has enraged over who should be David Warner’s opening partner - the off-again, on-again Joe Burns or the young and rising star Will Pucovski.

Recently, the Cricket Australia chief selector Trevor Hohns had implied that the selection committee will discuss with David Warner regarding whom he prefers to bat with - a statement that did not go down well with former Australia captain Ricky Ponting.

In a virtual press conference with reporters earlier this week, Warner said that he is comfortable with batting alongside Burns. While Clarke said there is nothing wrong with what Warner said, he added that Warner is not a selector and his words might discourage Pucovski.

Also Read | Smith names 2 India batsmen who can fill void of big stars

“How does Will Pucovski feel sitting on the sideline reading this in the paper? If he does get nod, he’s walking out to bat with David Warner and he’s reading a headline — if you read the article it’s very different to the headline. David Warner doesn’t sit there and say ‘I want Joe Burns, I don’t want Will’ but if you read the headline that’s how it comes across,” Clarke said on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast.

“So unless Will Pucovski is reading every word, he’s going to think ‘David doesn’t want to open the batting with me, he wants to open with Joe Burns’. So it’s a horrible position for everyone to be in.

“His [Warner’s] comments are fine. He respects Joe Burns, he enjoys batting with Joe Burns, he’s good friends with Joe Burns, but he’s not a selector,” Clarke signed off.

India will play 4 Tests, 3 ODIs and 3 T20Is against Australia.