Australian crickter David Warner revealed his Test retirement plans saying thathe hopes to career in the longest format of the game at Sydney, which will be against Pakistan in 2024, to be his last.
Warner is currently in England preparing for next week’s ICC World Test Championship against India and is then likely to feature in the five-match Ashes series with England.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the WTC final, Warner hoped to finish his Test career at the SCG against Pakistan in January.
Even though Australia will take on West Indies soonafter, the 36-year-old ruled out the posibilty on continuing pulling on the Baggy Green but said he will rather focus on white-ball cricket until the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA.
“You’ve got to score runs. I’ve always said the (2024) World Cup would probably be my final game," Warner said on Saturday.
“I probably owe it to myself and my family – if I can score runs here and continue to play back in Australia – I can definitely say I won’t be playing that West Indies series.
“If I can get through this (WTC final and ensuing Ashes campaign) and make the Pakistan series I will definitely finish up then."
Warner’s position in the Test team has been under scanner after being in lean form for almost the last three years. Warner made just 26 runs in three innings in this year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in India before returning home due to injuries.
He averages only 26.04 in Tests in England, and had a terrible time during the last Ashes tour in 2019, averaging 9.50, with veteran pacer Stuart Broad taking his wicket seven times.
“I want to play that 2024 World Cup. It is something that is on the back of my mind. We’ve got a lot of cricket before that, and then I think it stops from February. So for me, then I’ll have to play IPL some of the other franchise leagues and then get into that rhythm to play in June," said Warner
“There will be a bit of cricket around to play. Who knows I might go back and play a Shield game for New South Wales," he added.
Warner added he had suffered no major damage after being stuck in the practice nets on the same left elbow he fractured during Australia’s tour of India earlier this year, an injury that meant he missed the final Two Tests.
He underwent treatment by a physiotherapist on Thursday but expects to be fit for Wednesday’s start of the WTC final at the Oval.
“It was sore, it got me right on the same point but from a different angle," said Warner.
“It went numb and I had to get it strapped, but it’s fine now –- a little bit sore, but lucky it didn’t hit me on top."
(With inputs from Agencies)
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