Ricky Ponting believes that David Warner should have called time on his Test career at the end of the Australian summer.
Warner was ruled out of the last two Tests against India after breaking his elbow in Delhi. He did not leave an impact in the two games that he played, making 1, 10 and 15, to continue his poor run in Asia. The 36-year-old averages 45.57 after 103 Tests, but that dips to 31.70 in the subcontinent. In India, his average is 21.78.
Since the start of 2021, the left-hander has averaged 29.48, scoring 914 runs in 32 innings with one century – a knock of 200 – which he made on Boxing Day last year, against South Africa. However, he has failed to pass 20 in four innings since that knock.
Ponting is of the view that the opener should have signed off on a high, instead of leaving his future at the hands of the selectors. Speaking on RSN, Ponting said, “For him to finish the way he deserves to finish, the obvious thing for me was to pull the pin after Sydney. He got 200 in Melbourne, played his 100th Test, played the next Test in Sydney, his home ground and maybe finish there.
“The last thing he deserved is to be away on a tour and get in to the middle of a series and get dropped and his career is over. That would be an awful way for him to finish.”
He also drew comparisons between the end of his own career and Warner’s decline. Ponting had been shown the door from the ODI side in 2012 after a poor tri-series, featuring India and Sri Lanka. Ponting had made 2, 1, 6, 2 and 7 before being ousted from the side.
“It’s happened to all of us, it happened to me,” he said. “When you get to a certain age and it looks like your form is dropping off slightly, then the knives are sharpened and it doesn’t take long.
“He’s a driven little man, a pretty stubborn little bugger, so we’ll see how he goes.”
Warner, on the other hand, is adamant to continue playing till 2024. After arriving in Australia from India, he told reporters that he was keen to represent his country for at least another year unless the selectors feel otherwise.
“I’ve always said I’m playing to 2024, if the selectors feel that I’m not worthy of my spot, then so be it, and I can push on to the white-ball stuff.”
