Australia have announced an unchanged squad of 13 players for the third and final Test of the ongoing series against Pakistan to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) from January 3, 2024, onwards.
The announcement has assured David Warner of his Test farewell at home and the southpaw would want to leave on a high with the New Year's Test being the last game in the red-ball format of his career.
Warner is one of the most celebrated cricketers of the modern-day generation. The 37-year-old has donned the baggy green on 111 occasions and aggregated 8695 runs for the country in the longest format of the game.
Warner's runs have come at an average of 44.58 and the southpaw has notched up 26 tons and 36 half-centuries in the whites with a career-best of 335* against Pakistan. The New South Wales-born is the fifth-leading run accumulator in Tests for Australia and is behind his teammate Steve Smith and former players Steve Waugh, Allan Border and Ricky Ponting.
The Chair of Selectors George Bailey looks forward to Australia registering a clean sweep in the series and wants Warner to leave a lasting impression in his farewell contest.
"The NSP (National Selection Panel) have retained the same squad from Melbourne to Sydney as we look to clean sweep the Test series. We look forward to celebrating David Warner’s final Test match and his incredible career at his home ground," Bailey was quoted as saying by Fox Cricket.
Though the Pat Cummins-led side has already clinched the series and is leading 2-0, the New Year's Test will be an opportunity for the hosts to move past New Zealand on the World Test Championship points table and claim the second spot.
Australia's squad for the 3rd Test:
Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner
