Lehmann Drops Warner hint

David Warner could yet be named in the Australian team for the first Test at Trent Bridge after Darren Lehmann said the batsman would start with a clean slate under his coaching.

Lehmann made it clear he would be picking teams based on performance and not reputation or previous disciplinary issues, opening the door for Warner possibly be included in the first Ashes Test of the series, where the cricket betting has England as heavy favourites.

That will definitely be huge boost to Warner following his suspension for *that* bar-fight with England batsman Joe Root. That suspension lasts until the first Test in Nottingham, by which time Warner won’t have played any competitive cricket for a month.

Warner appears to have caught the eye of the management following his suspension, reportedly turning up first for training every day and impressing Lehmann with his attitude and work-rate.

“I don’t know what’s happened in the past so for me he’s got to do that [bring a good attitude] full stop,” Lehmann said.

“And he’s not the only one, everyone in the squad’s got to train that way. He’s been the first there and last to leave, so I’ve been pretty happy with his preparation.”

“[He starts] very much so with a clean slate. We can’t control what’s happened in the past.”

With Shane Watson now back opening the batting, if Warner came back into the side for the opening Test at Trent Bridge then it would be in the middle-order, where the 26-year old has spent some of his international career and would bring some aggressive stroke-play down the order.

Warner could definitely be a big weapon in this Ashes series if he managed to sort himself out, and his runs could make a difference to some Australia cricket betting odds. But a lot depends on Warner himself, and he hasn’t always been the most reliable member of this Australian team.