David Warner Says International Schedule Will Influence His BBL Participation

Australian opening batsman David Warner has revealed his decision to play in the Big Bash League (BBL) based on the international schedule. The 33-year old refuses to mix himself between two different formats in a home summer, thereby disrupting his rhythm. Warner’s statements on this aspect have come up due to how the home season panned out in 2013-14.

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In the 2013-14 Australian home summer, David Warner made himself available for the Ashes and the marquee tournament without much gaps between them. As a result, the southpaw slammed two centuries in the first and third Tests before scoring 50 off 31 balls for Sydney Thunder in a single appearance. However, the final two Tests went without Warner passing even 25.

Warner told Cricket.com.au that all his decisions regarding BBL are based on the number of games that he plays and how well he does. Reflecting on the summer of 2013-14, the explosive opening batsman doesn’t want his mind cluttered between Tests and T20Is. David Warner went on to say that he doesn’t want to put himself in a position of playing the longest and the shortest form in the space of a few days.

“All my decisions are based around how much playing and touring I’m doing in the summer. When I last played a game, my mindset in the next two Tests was cluttered between playing and not playing shots. I know that’s how I play but I’ve reined it in a lot over the last few years and don’t want to be putting myself into a situation again where I’m playing a Test match and then a T20 and then Tests again a few days later.”

I have to see what is happening at the end of the year: David Warner

It all comes down to the schedule for the New South Wales born batsman. The decision to play in the BBL purely rests on the calendar of the upcoming Australian summer. Although due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the schedule remains highly uncertain as Cricket Australia struggle to conduct the 2020 World Cup down under and host India for the four-Test series.

“It would be easy to sit here now and say ‘Yes, I’d like to play’ but I have to see what is happening at the end of the year. I’ll have to have a hard think about it depending on the schedule.” 

Meanwhile, if not for the pandemic, Warner would have been captaining Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 13th season of the Indian Premier League. The left-handed batsman scored 692 runs in 11 matches last year even as he missed most of the competitive cricket in 2018.

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