Sydney, Dec 4 : Shane Warne has claimed the next batsman to come into Australia''s Test team in place of Ricky Ponting should be its most recent discard, Rob Quiney.

Quiney''s miserable stint at number three earlier in the South Africa series, which yielded nine runs in three innings and included a pair of ducks in Adelaide, has not shaken Warne''s belief the 30-year-old is the most worthy successor to the retired Ricky Ponting.

"When you identify a player who''s been the best player in domestic cricket for a period of time and you give him a chance . . . [with him] getting nought you can''t really tell [his suitability] because anyone can get nought," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Warne, as saying.

"The ones that get 12 and 15 are the ones you worry about. They get themselves in then play a bad shot to get out. For me, anyone can get out early, when they first come in," he added.

"I don''t think he''s had a really good run at it. I think three Tests against Sri Lanka would be a good opportunity to have a really good run at it, and then see how he goes after those three Tests. If you need to make a change after that so be it," he said.

Warne added: "Other guys like Khawaja and Phillip Hughes . . . have to earn their stripes a bit more. They have to go back to Shield cricket and show us how keen they are. Go back and make a hundred - and keep making hundreds. Khawaja has had a couple of chances."

"Phil Hughes has had three or four . . . he''s meant to have changed his technique a bit and seems to be getting runs, but Bobby has had one chance really," he concluded. (ANI)