David Warner to retire from Test cricket after Ashes, Pakistan series

LONDON: David Warner has announced he will retire from Test cricket early next year as he named the World Test Championship final, the Ashes and this winter’s Pakistan fixtures as his last.

Warner will walk away from the five-day game in January 2024 and has ruled out any chance of featuring in the series against the West Indies later that month.

But the former Australia captain admitted he is keen to feature in the 2024 T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States. “You’ve got to score runs. I’ve always said the (2024) World Cup would probably be my final game,” Warner said.

“But 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 series) and make the Pakistan series I will definitely finish up then.

“I’m just working as hard as I can to get to there and it starts in this Test match against India. I am really looking forward to that challenge and then that challenge presents itself against England.”

Australia are set to face England later this month in a bid to reclaim the Ashes for a fourth successive campaign. And opening batter Warner highlighted England’s world-class bowlers as he admitted the tourists will have to be brave if they are to repeat the 4-0 victory over them in 2022 .

“I think in these conditions with world-class bowlers you can’t allow them to settle,” Warner added. “You can’t allow them to put the ball in one spot.

“You’re going to have to make some brave decisions and be content with getting out.” The 36-year-old highlighted the significance of Jofra Archer’s absence and praised the in-form Stuart Broad, who took five wickets in England’s first-day dominance against Ireland on Thursday and has enjoyed a good record against Warner.

He said: “It’s going to be tough backing up (against Broad), they have different speeds as well. “The big miss for them is obviously Jofra (Archer), each team has that aggressor and that’s what you strengthen your bowling unit on.

“From their perspective they’ve got their own headaches with their selections and for us it’s just worrying about the new guys, we haven’t faced Ollie Robinson in these conditions, Pottsy (Matthew Potts) and Josh Tongue who is the debutant.”