David Warner, the Australian batting legend, has declared his international career a “closed chapter.” However, he has left the door open for a potential comeback in the Champions Trophy next year, should he be selected. This possibility was described as an “emergency option” by his ODI captain Pat Cummins.
Warner officially retired from ODIs after Australia’s World Cup-winning run in November 2022. His last Test match was against Pakistan in January, and his final T20I appearance was against India on June 24th, during the recently concluded T20 World Cup. In a post on Monday, Warner wrote, “Chapter closed!! It’s been an unbelievable experience to play at the highest level for such a long period. Australia was my team. The majority of my career was at the international level. It’s been an honour to be able to do this. 100+ games in all formats is my highlight.”
While declaring his international retirement, Warner expressed his willingness to continue playing franchise cricket and also indicated his openness to playing for Australia in the Champions Trophy if selected. This isn’t the first time Warner has shown interest in featuring in the 50-over tournament. Even when announcing his ODI and Test retirement in January, he had stated his willingness to play the Champions Trophy, which is set to return after an eight-year hiatus in Pakistan next year.
In January, when Pat Cummins was asked about Warner’s potential return for the Champions Trophy, he replied, “I think it’s probably time to give some others a crack [in ODIs], but knowing that he’s going to still be playing cricket. So it might be more of a kind of break glass in an emergency option. But, you know, David is going to be scoring runs somewhere in the world. So you never quite know that this is (the end).”
Reflecting on his illustrious career, Warner, who retired as Australia’s highest scorer and seventh-most prolific batter in the world in T20 format, thanked his family, fans, and teammates. He has amassed 3,277 runs from 110 matches at an average of 33.43 and a strike rate of 142.47 in T20 Internationals. “For all the cricket fans out there, I truly hope I have entertained you and changed cricket, especially tests, in a way where we scored a bit faster than others. We cannot do what we love without the fans, so thanks. I want to say thanks to everyone out there who has made this possible. My wife and my girls, who sacrificed so much, thank you for all your support. No person will ever know what we’ve been through.”
Warner also expressed gratitude to his teammates and staff, adding, “To the players and staff, thanks for putting up with me. No more what’s app junk, your ears are now going to be free of my voice. This team has had unbelievable success the last few years and long may this continue. Pat Cummins, Andrew old Mac and staff have got this.”
Throughout his career, Warner has been a consistent performer, scoring 8,786 runs from 112 Test matches at an average of 44.59, with 26 centuries and 37 half-centuries between 2011 and 2024. He also accumulated 6,932 runs from 161 ODI matches at an average of 45.30, including 22 centuries and 33 half-centuries.
