Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke feels that it is the right time for the player David Warner for a full international retirement.
Michael Clarke on David Warner’s retirement
Michael Clarke has suggested that this would be the right moment for the player David Warner to retire from international career. David Warner is set to retire from ODI and Test career after the third and final test at Sydney Cricket Ground.
He said that David Warner’s talents and ability to do things other players couldn’t have helped him avoid his central contract from getting canceled when he had conflicts with authority.
Michael Clarke was Warner’s first Test captain when he made his debut in 2011. He played 39 games alongside his captaincy and was also part of the ODI World Cup triumph of the side.
But his ball-tampering scandal during the South Africa tour in 2018 has been one of the most controversial moments of his career.
Michael Clarke was Australia side’s captain when David Warner was suspended for his altercation with Joe Root in a Birmingham bar and he missed two tests of that Year’s Ashes.
“Davey has always been a tough character, someone I loved having in the team, that intent, that aggressive approach,” told Clarke.
“But think he had a lot of support and help from, certainly, senior players and around Cricket Australia that helped him not have his contract ripped up. There was a bit of a fight to keep him because he was so important to the team.”
“[There was] the confidence, being his captain, that [at] the start of his career that like all of us, we are young, [he] needed to learn lessons along the way.
“Davey’s game has really been learnt at the highest level, playing for Australia, which is not easy to do so think he deserves a lot of credit.”
Clarke said that Warner’s talent was evident, but still had to win over tough situations in his domestic career before making his first-class debut.
“He’s had a stellar career, opening the batting [is] such a hard position,” Clarke said. “There were a lot of doubts around the way Davey played. Could he cut it in Test cricket? [He] started as a T20 player and there was always that risk.”
“I think from day one everyone saw the talent, very gifted, can do things that a lot of players can’t do. And he’s been able to manage that role as an opening batsman but keep his intent, which is easier said than done.”
“An Australian batsman that set the tone when it came to opening batting was Matthew Hayden – I used to love watching Haydos and Michael Slater walk out and bat and play that aggressive role – and think Davey continued in that manner.”
“If the ball was full and there to drive early in his innings he’d take it on, if it was short he takes on that pull or hook shot, he wanted to score runs. That’s the name of the game but it’s easier said than done, trying to do that against a brand-new ball in Test cricket. Deserves a lot of praise.”
Clarke was of the view that this Test in Sydney would have been the perfect time for Warner to retire from all formats of the international game.
“Guess I thought it would have been the ideal time to walk away from international cricket in general but [he] wants to keep playing T20 cricket,” Clarke said.
“Now the balance is going to be from playing domestic T20s versus stepping up and playing international. He’ll still have to earn his selection. Think his form in domestic T20 is something the selectors will be looking at.”
“We have a lot of young players coming through in that T20 format that they might pick for the World Cup. Again, the way Davey’s played in all three formats is a credit to him,” he concluded.
The Aussies will be playing their third test against Pakistan’s Australia tour of 2023 on January 03, at Sydney Cricket Ground.
