Former Australia cricketer David Warner stirred a debate after he offered to come out of retirement for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India. David Warner announced his retirement from cricket after the Sydney Test against Pakistan in January this year.
After David Warner’s retirement, Steve Smith opened the innings for Australia, but the move did not yield positive results. Smith was later confirmed to bat at his usual No.4 slot in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, leaving an opener’s slot vacant. David Warner said he is ready to play the next Shield game if Australia need him for the marquee series.
David Warner makes claims too return to test cricket if required for BGT 2024-25
David Warner, who bid adieu to Test cricket cricket earlier this year, stunned everyone with his recent statement on willing to return to Australian whites if the team needs him for BGT. David Warner finished his illustrious Test career with 8786 runs in 112 matches, including 26 centuries and 37 fifties. He also got to play his final match on his home ground – Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG). He scored a fifty in his final innings.
Meanwhile, Cricket Australia recently lifted David Warner’s leadership ban which was imposed after his involvement in the ball-tampering saga in the Test series against South Africa in 2018.
Former Australia opening batter David Warner has finally issued a clarification, saying he would only make a U-turn on his eventual international retirement if the Australian team management asks him to consider playing once again for the senior men’s side. It is still not known who will open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja for Australia in the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy and recently, David Warner had opened the doors of him coming back, provided Pat Cummins and co, ask him to.
David Warner, who played 112 Tests for Australia, had announced his retirement after the Tests against Pakistan. In October 2024, David Warner was also cleared of the ban imposed by Cricket Australia after the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
David Warner has now explained his comments, and during his commentary debut on Fox Sports for the first ODI between Australia and Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the left-handed batter said that he would never say no, if the Australian management wanted him to return.
David Warner opens up on claiming he is available for Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024/25
Retired Australian cricketer David Warner has clarified that his comments on ‘being available’ were taken out of context. The former left-handed batter said he would come out of retirement only if he got a call.
While speaking to the News Corp last month, the New South Wales cricketer shockingly said he was available to play in the Test series against India if the selectors wanted him to. However, both Australia’s chief selector and head coach Andrew McDonald haven’t considered the idea of bringing him back.
Speaking on Fox Cricket’s coverage of the first ODI between Australia and Pakistan, Warner said all he meant was that he was unlikely to say no if the selectors gave him a call.
“My comment was only if my phone rang and they called me and if they asked, you’re not going to say no. You’re not going to turn down a game for Australia. I think a lot of it got taken out of context by some people but it is what it is. If I was to get a call, why wouldn’t I say yes?” he said.
After Warner’s retirement, Australia opened with Steve Smith, who did so against the West Indies and New Zealand. However, the veteran will move back to No. 4 after not finding much success in the role.
David Warner on Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft
With the likes of Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft among those vying for an opener’s spot, Warner believes both have technical flaws. The southpaw reckons Bancroft will be discovered by players who move the ball faster in the air.
He stated (via the aforementioned interview):
“We know what Marcus Harris and Cameron Bancroft bring to the table. They have been around. Unfortunately, they haven’t put the numbers on the board. With both, I think they are still making the same mistakes. There is no air speed at the moment in Shield cricket and, unfortunately, you are playing at venues as well that don’t bounce.”
“With Cameron Bancroft, his foot is still out to point. If someone is bowling 140, 145km/h, he is still going to make the same mistakes. In my eyes, it’s about his front foot being pointed out to point, and when there is faster air speed, so the bowlers are bowling faster, he is going to get rolled through LBW or get caught in the slips cordon. And he had that trouble when playing for Australia,” he added.
Warner also said that South Australian captain Nathan McSweeney can be one of the options for the opener slot for the upcoming series.
“McSweeney’s a talent. They can run the gauntlet with him opening the batting. I know he bats No. 3 for South Australia, but I think there’s leadership qualities there as well,” Warner said during commentary on Fox Sports.
The upcoming series between India and Australia will begin on November 22 in Perth. The remaining four Tests will be played in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.