"Probably Owe It To Myself": David Warner Reveals Tentative Test Retirement Date
David Warner revealed a tentative date for his retirement from Test cricket.
Australian cricket team star David Warner stunned everyone on Saturday by announcing that the Test series against Pakistan in January 2024 can be his final outing in red-ball cricket. Speaking to reporters ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) Final against India starting June 7, Warner said that he wants to play his final Test match at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) against Pakistan next year. Australia will play West Indies right after the Pakistan series but Warner made it clear that he will not be a part of that series and he wants to focus more on white-ball cricket.
“You've got to score runs,” Warner told reporters, according to cricket.com.au.
“I've always said the [2024] World Cup would probably be my final game. I probably owe it to myself and my family — if I can score runs here and continue to play back in Australia — I can definitely say I won't be playing that West Indies series. If I can get through this [WTC final and Ashes] and make the Pakistan series I will definitely finish up then,” he said during the interaction.
When it comes to taking retirement from international cricket as a whole, Warner hinted at the 2024 World Cup to be his final outing. However, he will be playing franchise cricket around the world.
Earlier this year, Warner revealed that he and opening partner Usman Khawaja have decided to not retire at the same time.
“For us it's about not leaving this team with a big hole. I know through those five-year transition periods when a lot of the greats left, they're big holes to fill with the amount of games you play. We always talk about games played and how much that means into a team's performance and perspective with experience. You can't fill that void,” he said.
David Warner
Australia Cricket Team