Ashes 2019: Langer Backs ‘Champion’ Warner to Come Good After Horror Ashes

Australia head coach Justin Langer believes opener David Warner, whose returns with the bat during the recently-concluded Ashes left a lot to be desired, will rediscover his form in time.

"I've learned over a long period you never write off champion players, it doesn't matter what sport, you never write off champion players," Langer said.

"They tend to come good, don't they? He's had a tough series, no doubt about that, but he's also a champion player so usually with champion players they get a bit more time to come good.

"This series, it didn't go to plan, but he's seen how successful he's been and the impact he can have on Australian cricket teams winning so I'm confident he'll come good. Actually, I'm hopeful he comes good."

Warner managed to score only 95 runs in what was a forgettable summer in England, despite Australia retaining the Ashes thanks to drawing the series 2-2.

The southpaw was dismissed an alarming seven times by Stuart Broad and Langer believes that the veteran seamer got inside Warner’s head.

"Talking frankly, he let Stuart Broad get into his head and he thought way too much about it. I've seen it before, even with the great players.

"I remember Gilly (Adam Gilchrist) with Andrew Flintoff (in 2005). I remember seeing Steve Waugh sit on the team bus in South Africa and the guy had been a run machine for so long, he got out just before stumps and I, in a sick sort of way, thought it was the best thing I'd ever seen because I didn't think great players had lean runs.

"I used to have lean runs all the time, but even great players have lean runs and I'm sure David – we know he's a very good player, there's no question about that – but he had it tough, particularly against Stuart Broad.

"I used to have it against Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) and I couldn't solve the issue and it's so hard when you try to problem solve and then you're in the middle of a big series trying to solve the puzzle.

"In this instance I don't think David solved the puzzle, and he'll be first to admit that. He'll probably be very relieved he gets on the Qantas flight in a day's time and doesn't have to face Stuart Broad for a while I reckon.

"But he is certainly, there's plenty of upside still to his batting."