For sometime now, David Warner has been dropping subtle hints about his retirement. The Aussie left-handed batter plays all three formats and he is equally good in all of them. Warner has won the ODI World Cup and the T20 World Cup in his illustrious career and when he retires, he certainly will bow out as one of the most decorated Aussie. The scheduling of international cricket is extremely harsh on the players and stalwarts such as Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali have addressed it time and again.
David Warner has indicated he wants the 2024 T20 World Cup in the United States and the West Indies to be his international swansong, saying winning the title would be the icing on the cake. Warner was adjudged the 'Player of the Tournament' for his tally of 289 runs in Australia's winning campaign in the T20 World Cup in the UAE in 2021. He is currently playing BBL for Sydney Thunders.
Warner revealed his plans and said:
2024 most likely be the last year of my international career. I've got my sights set on the 2024 (T20) World Cup as well, so finishing in the Americas (North America and Caribbean islands), that'd be nice to top it off with a win over there, pending selection," Warner was quoted as saying by Sky Sports on Thursday. I've signed (with the Thunder) for this year and next year, and it's my time to contribute and give back. I've got the time to do that now.
David Warner in action
The T20 World Cup is being jointly hosted by the West Indies and the United States in June next year. Warner also revealed his plans for the four-Test Border-Gavaskar series in India. Warner who missed out on the 2018-19 edition of the contest tried to contribute in the 2020-21 series but the Indian side was way too good for the Aussies as they clinched the series by 2-1.
David Warner further said:
The extra motivation for me is winning in India and completely winning a series in England. I've been told by the coach and the selectors they would like me to be there. Was there doubt? Of course, there was doubt in my mind but for me, it was about going out there and knowing that I've still got that hunger and determination because every time I rock up to training, I've got it.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith has said he will keep concentrating on his ODI and Test careers and had not given much thought to his T20 international future. The former Test captain had played just one match during Australia's home World Cup campaign last year.