Australia opener David Warner retires from ODIs and Tests

Australia opener David Warner said on Monday he had decided to call time on his one-day international and Test match careers to spend more time with his family.

The 37-year-old, a crucial member of the Australia team that won the 50-overs World Cup for the sixth time in India last year, will play his 112th and final Test against Pakistan at his home Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) starting on Wednesday.

“I said at the World Cup that I wanted to get through that ... but I've decided to also announce my retirement from that format,” an emotional Warner said at the SCG, with his wife and children also present.

“It'll help the one-day team move along a bit but if they need me, they know where I am.”

Warner scored 22 centuries and 6,932 runs at an average of 45.30 over 161 one-day internationals after his debut in January 2009, winning two World Cups in the format.

Australia's victory against India in the November 19 final of the World Cup last year remains Warner's last ODI outing. He was Australia's leading scorer in the tournament.

Among his compatriots, only Ricky Ponting (30) has more ODI hundreds than Warner's 22.

A sought-after name in franchise cricket, the aggressive opener remains available for Australia in the game's shortest format and is hopeful of playing the T20 World Cup in June.

“It was a decision I was very, very comfortable with,” he said. “To win in India, from where we were, was absolutely amazing.

“When we lost two games in a row in India, the bond just got stronger with each other and it's not by fluke or by chance that we were able to get to where we were.”

Warner is set to play in the ongoing Big Bash League after the Sydney Test and has sought Cricket Australia's permission to play in a franchise tournament in the United Arab Emirates.

Warner, who also has a contract with the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League, highlighted the threat Test cricket faces from franchise cricket.

“Fortunately in my development, I didn't have that there, so I didn't have to make that decision of going out and playing in those.

“Today with so many different opportunities and a lot of money at stake for younger guys coming through, it's a tough decision to make.”

Warner was given the hometown farewell from Test cricket he craved after the opening batsman was named in an unchanged Australia line-up for the third and final match against Pakistan in Sydney next week.

Warner said in June he wanted to call time on his 12-year Test career at the Sydney Cricket Ground and, with the Australians holding an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, the 37-year-old has been granted his wish.

“The National Selection Panel have retained the same squad from Melbourne to Sydney as we look to clean sweep the Test series,” chief selector George Bailey said.

“We look forward to celebrating David Warner's final Test match and his incredible career at his home ground.”

Sydneysider Warner went into the current series with question marks over his form due to a lack of Test runs, but a rapid-fire 164 in the first innings of the opening match in Perth erased any doubts over his position in the team.

Australia won that Test by 360 runs before Pat Cummins put on a man-of-the-match performance to seal the second game in Melbourne last week, the captain taking 10 wickets as Pakistan lost by 79 runs in four days.

The series win was the fourth in a row at home for the Australians, who have won 10 Tests out of 12 since Cummins took over as captain ahead of the 2021-22 Ashes series.

Pakistan go into the meeting looking for their first Test win in Australia for nearly three decades.

Australia squad: Pat Cummins (captain), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, David Warner 

Reuters