Australia batter David Warner has announced his retirement from one-day international (ODI) cricket in the lead-up to his final Test match.
The 37-year-old previously announced his retirement from Test cricket before an ongoing series with Pakistan. On Monday, Warner said his decision to also retire from ODI cricket was one he was “very, very comfortable with”.
He played a pivotal role in helping Australia win the Cricket World Cup against India last year. Warner, who was the tournament’s leading run scorer, said he felt the time was right after an “absolutely amazing” World Cup.
He also said retiring would create opportunities for new players and allow him greater freedom to play franchise cricket overseas – Warner has been a part of the Indian Premier League for 14 seasons, and has a massive following.
But he did not rule out playing in the 2025 Champions Trophy if called upon.
Warner will play his 112th and final Test in his home city of Sydney on Wednesday. He has played 161 ODI matches, scoring 6,932 runs to be the sixth-highest run scorer in Australian ODI history.
However, his career has not been without controversy. In 2018, Warner – who was then Australia vice-captain – was banned from playing all forms of international cricket for a year over his involvement in the sandpapergate ball-tampering scandal. He has also been permanently banned from holding a leadership position in Australian cricket teams.
Cricket Australia – the sport’s governing body in the country – said Warner had devised a plan to artificially alter the state of the ball with sandpaper during a match with South Africa, and then instructed a junior player to carry it out. On Monday, he told Australian media he had no regrets over his actions.
This, along with other incidents such as an altercation in a bar with England cricketer Joe Root, have made him a divisive figure on the cricketing stage. He is unpopular with many England cricket supporters, while fans in Australia have also expressed their disappointment over the ball-tampering issue.
Most recently, former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson questioned why Warner should get a “hero’s send-off” in his last Test series.”It’s been five years and David Warner has still never really owned the ball-tampering scandal,” he wrote in an Australian newspaper.
However, Warner’s contribution to the game is undeniable.
He is widely popular in India – not only for his skill on the field, but also for some timely social media content, such as posts in which he breaks out dance moves from popular south Indian films.
Warner himself said he was feeling “great” in Monday’s news conference. “I would have never imagined opening the batting for New South Wales or anyone to be honest when I first started but to be here, 112 Tests I think, I still pinch myself,” he said.
(BBC)
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