David Warner, the Australian opener, has rejected the notion that he and Steve Smith are planning to retire from test cricket following the upcoming Ashes match against England at the Oval on Thursday. Warner has expressed his intention to play his final test match in Sydney against Pakistan in January of the following year. Furthermore, he aspires to continue playing until the 2024 Twenty20 World Cup.
Despite Australia already securing the Ashes urn with a 2-1 lead before the final test, some, including former England captain Michael Vaughan, believe that both Warner and Smith might retire after the Oval match. Warner, who has been a key figure in the Australian lineup since his debut in 2011, has scored 201 runs in the current Ashes series, maintaining an average of 25.12 with a highest score of 66.
David Warner is keeping reporters on their toes about his retirement this summer…#Ashes pic.twitter.com/w1jlnVkp1s
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) July 26, 2023
He acknowledges that his test career is nearing its conclusion and supports Matt Renshaw as his potential successor, hoping he will excel in both test and one-day formats, much like the legendary Australian batsman Matthew Hayden did during his playing days.
Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, has refuted the completely baseless claim that Warner and Smith have any intentions of walking away from the game after the Oval match. He emphasized that both players are entirely focused on the task at hand and committed to the team’s objectives.
No changes to retirement plans says the Australian opener ahead of the final #Ashes Test.
More from David Warner ⬇️https://t.co/xLAjqYkRnk
— ICC (@ICC) July 26, 2023
“Obviously it’s a joke. I won’t take that too seriously. I don’t have an announcement. I’ve probably left a few out there but in saying that, I’ve played a lot better than what I did last time, I feel like I’m in a good space, contributed well, and as a batting unit we’re all about partnerships, and I think the partnerships that we’ve had in key moments of this series have actually worked very well for us as a team.” – David Warner said.
