Warner has to open with Finch in WC: Mark Waugh

Sydney, May 7 (IANS) Former batsman and national selector Mark Waugh feels David Warner should open for Australia at the upcoming World Cup in England and Wales.

Warner batted at number three during a World Cup warm-up match against a New Zealand XI in Brisbane on Monday. In-form Usman Khawaja was sent to open alongside captain Aaron Finch.

"I would definitely have him (Warner) opening," Waugh told the Big Sports Breakfast radio program.

"He is the number one opener in my opinion, so he has got to open with Finch.

"He is the most dangerous when the field is up and the field restrictions are in place and he can get the team off to a flyer."

Warner has been in red hot form recently for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, sitting pretty at the top of the run-getters' chart with 692 runs in 12 innings racking up eight half centuries and one hundred in the process.

For Australia, the dashing southpaw who is making a return after serving a one-year ban, has opened in all his 104 ODI innings.

But what puts Khawaja ahead is the fact that he is the highest run-getter in ODIs for Australia this year with 769 runs to his name.

Waugh, though, said he isn't sure if Khawaja should be an automatic choice for Australia's best XI, adding it should be a toss-up between Khawaja and Shaun Marsh for the number three spot.

"I think either Khawaja or Shaun Marsh bat at three and they should be fighting for that spot," he said.

"The rest probably picks themselves...with (Steve) Smith at four, (Glenn) Maxwell (at) five, (Marcus) Stoinis (at) six and (Alex) Carey (at) seven," said Waugh who was part of Australia's 1999 World Cup winning team.