David Warner has left the door ajar for an international comeback in the 2025 Champions Trophy despite retiring from all formats of the game recently.
Having retired from ODIs after Australia’s successful campaign last year and from Tests in January, David Warner bade farewell to his international career after Australia crashed out from the 2024 T20 World Cup in the Super Eights stage.
However, in an Instagram post, Warner expressed his desire to represent Australia in the Champions Trophy next year "if selected". This is not the first time he has said so: while announcing his ODI and Test retirements, he talked of being available for the tournament in Pakistan next February and March if Australia “need someone”.
"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," Warner wrote on Instagram. "I will continue to play franchise cricket for a while, and I am also open to playing for Australia in the Champions trophy if selected."
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"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.
"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," Warner concluded.
Cummins: It might be more of a kind of break glass in an emergency option
Pat Cummins, Australia’s ODI and Test captain, responded to Warner’s wish to make a one-off return: "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, 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]."
With 6,888 runs at an average of 45.31 and a strike rate of 97, including 22 centuries and 33 fifties, Warner is the second-highest run-scorer among Australian ODI openers, after Adam Gilchrist (9,176 runs at 36.55 and 98, 16 hundreds, 53 fifties).
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