ENGLAND, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND T20I TRI-SERIES, 2018

Warner fantastic in the leadership role with young guys: Lehmann

by Cricbuzz Staff • Published on

Warner has scored a paltry 12 runs from three matches after averaging a lowly 14.6 during Australia's hefty One-Day International series loss against England. © Getty

David Warner, the struggling Australian stand-in captain, will be given a breather ahead of the team's next Twenty20 tri-seriesmatch in New Zealand after an extended limited-overs form drought.

The 31-year-old has inspired through his energetic captaincy to lead Australia to an unbeaten start in the tri-series. Australia's crushing seven-wicket victory over England on Saturday clinched a spot in the final as the tri-series shifts to New Zealand.

Australia has managed to dominate despite Warner's continual struggles with the bat since the Ashes. Warner has scored a paltry 12 runs from three matches after averaging a lowly 14.6 during Australia's hefty One-Day International series loss against England.

Warner is the only member of Australia's successful Ashesteam to play all three formats this summer and he has increasingly looked fatigued. Darren Lehmann, the Australian coach, said Warner would be given a break before Australia's next match on Friday (February 16) against New Zealand.

Warner will appear at the Allan Border Medal count in Melbourne on Monday night before flying home to Sydney on Tuesday. The remainder of the T20 squad will head to New Zealand on Tuesday with Warner to join them later in the week in time for the clash in Auckland.

"It will just give him a couple of days at home really," Lehmann said in Melbourne on Monday (February 12). "It's always a challenge with the schedule as it is, but David is really keen to play as captain. So we'll give him a couple of days off and get him to New Zealand the day before the game."

With regular captain Steve Smith enjoying a break, Lehmann said Warner's leadership in the tri-series had been vital for Australia's new look T20 team and he was confident runs were imminent for the explosive left-hander.

"He'd obviously like some more runs but he's been fantastic in the leadership role with the young guys," Lehmann said. "He's been training hard ... there's no dramas at the moment. He can only do so much work ... he's been working so hard that it's almost like (it would help) to just give him a couple of days away from the game.

"Ricky Ponting (Australia's assistant coach) has been doing some really good work with him, so we'd expect him to come out of that rut pretty quickly," he added.

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