David Warner To Step Aside From Australian Cricket Completely, Will Play Only T20 Leagues- Reports

Australia’s veteran opener David Warner is set to retire from red-ball cricket after next week’s final Test of the Benaud-Qadir series. He had a wish to retire at his home ground of SCG and it has come true as the 37-year-old batter will be retiring from Test cricket after a stellar career. However, the left-hander has no intentions of retiring from limited-overs cricket after a stunning display of form in the recent title-winning World Cup 2023 campaign.

Australian Cricketers’ Association boss Todd Greenberg has given some indications that Warner might consider choosing T20 leagues over international games if they coincide, and possibly, the Big Bash League. David Warner has already said that he won’t be taking the national team’s contract in order to give himself more freedom from the schedule.

“There’s no doubt in the next phase of Dave’s life he’s going to be looking to ply his trade where he gets the best return on his investment. There will be times when he’ll be looking to miss certain games and tours; that’s the sort of flexibility we’ve got to get our heads around. Some people won’t like that, but that’s the modern world in which we’re living and we’ve got to embrace it,” Greenberg told SEN on Thursday.

Warner hopes to play in next year’s T20 World Cup for Australia but will not take up an offer to be contracted by Cricket Australia again. “It’s probably pointless me taking that contract given that I’m not going to be playing Test cricket,” Warner said last month. David Warner has played 111 Test matches for Australia in his illustrious career. The 112th Test match of his career would be his last in red-ball cricket and he will bid adieu to this beautiful format on his home ground of SCG in Sydney.

David Warner Is The Fifth Highest Run-Scorer For Australia In Tests

David Warner has amassed 8695 runs in 111 Tests and has an average of 44.59 which makes him one of the greatest of the game for Australia. Warner has 26 centuries in Test cricket which includes three double hundreds and a triple hundred against Pakistan. He is one of the greatest openers to ever play and has proved himself time and again in different formats for Australia.

After retiring from Test cricket he won’t be taking up the contract from Cricket Australia to enjoy more freedom from the schedule. Therefore, he might consider playing more lucrative T20 leagues than international cricket in order to get the best return on investment. David Warner is hoping to feature for Australia in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 which is scheduled in June 2024 and will be jointly hosted by the West Indies and the USA.

David Warner scored a brilliant 164 off just 211 deliveries in the first Test of the Benaud-Qadir trophy at the Optus Stadium in Perth. He failed to create an impact with the bat at the MCG getting out for 38 in the first innings and for just six runs in the second innings. He will hope for a memorable farewell knock at the SCG during his last Test.