Picture Credit: Twitter
Australian batting maestro David Warner has hinted at a possible retirement from Tests at the end of 2023. The Australian has said that Test cricket will be the format he will be giving up first. However, the southpaw has rubbished all rumours of him stepping aside from white-ball cricket. In fact, Warner has said that he will play in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup.
As Australia have a busy 2023 in the longest format with a Border-Gavaskar Trophy on the line next February and the Ashes before the ODI World Cup, Warner hopes to call it quits after these two big series.
"Test cricket will probably be the first one to fall off," Warner said on Triple M's Deadset Legends. Because that's how it will pan out. The T20 World Cup is in 2024, (one-day) World Cup next year. Potentially it could be my last 12 months in Test cricket. But I love the white-ball game; it's amazing."
Not only Warner but a few big names are also expected to call it quits with Australia's first real changing of the guard since the 2015 Ashes is looming. Warner and Usman Khawaja will be 36 at the end of next year's Ashes, Nathan Lyon 35, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood 32. Steve Smith will also be 33 but the former captain is tipped to continue far longer.
Be careful what you wish for: Warner
The Australian opening batter also reacted to the talks around his abysmal run at the T20 World Cup 2022. Notably, Warner averaged 11 at the showpiece event and him not showing up was one of the prime reasons for Australia’s shock exit from the tournament.
"T20 cricket - I love the game. I will be looking to get to 2024," Warner said. "For all those people saying I am past it and a lot of those old people are past it, look out. Be careful what you wish for."