David Warner quashes retirement talks ahead of final Ashes showdown
David Warner has made it unequivocally clear that he has every intention of representing Australia's Test team when they host Pakistan in January. The left-hander emphasised that speculations surrounding his retirement prior to the fifth Test match of the Ashes at the Oval should be disregarded, with expectations of a farewell match at his hometown venue - Sydney Cricket Ground.
While a standout performance at the Oval might influence the Australian selectors, his recent form does not seem to favor such an outcome. Aside from a notable double century against South Africa last summer, Warner's performances have been relatively lacklustre.
Warner also lamented how his once-strong attributes have diminished over time. He expressed concerns about the unfavorable pitches prepared for the Australian team during tours, having faced challenging conditions in England, India, and Sri Lanka on multiple occasions, leading to struggles on his part.
Warner remains unperturbed by retirement talks
Warner said when asked if he had considered his future during the tour, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, “As a player that doesn’t go through your head. Going through your head is actually going out there and trying to score as many runs as you can and try and work hard on your game in the nets. If you get tapped on the shoulder [by selectors], you get tapped on the shoulder.
“For me, I’ve probably left a few runs out there but in saying that I’ve played a lot better than what I did last time [in 2019]. I’ve got in good positions, I’m looking to score, I’ve had a couple of unlucky dismissals and then dismissals where I’ve tried to negate the swing or the seam and it’s caught the outside edge of the bat,” the Aussie opener added.
ALSO READ: 'You've ended my career' - Ishant recalls hilarious Zaheer-Kohli conversation
The fifth Test match between Australia and England is scheduled to commence on July 27, with the visitors holding a 2-1 lead and having already retained the Ashes following a draw in the fourth Test at Old Trafford.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.