Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting believes David Warner missed the chance for a perfect retirement after his double hundred against South Africa in Boxing Day Test last December.
According to Ponting, Warner should have called time on his Test career in the Sydney Test, which was his 101st appearance in the longest format of the game.
Warner, who returned home from the India Test tour last week with a fractured elbow, had said, “I’ve always said I’m playing to 2024; if the selectors feel that I’m not worthy of my spot (in Tests), then so be it, and I can push on to the white-ball stuff. I’ve got the next 12 months, a lot of cricket’s ahead for the team and if I can keep scoring runs and putting my best foot forward for the team and I can help my spot, it’d be great for the team.”
Reacting to the same, Ponting told RSN Radio, “I think I’ve heard him talk before about their cycle. This current cycle will finish after the World Test Championship, which is obviously the week before the first Ashes Test and I would think all going well that they want to get David through until the end of that Test match at least.”
“It’s up to him though. The only currency you have as a batsman is runs and if you’re not scoring any you leave yourself open,” he added.
Warner featured in the first two Tests against India and registered scores of 1, 10 and 15 in the three innings that he batted. The southpaw looked far from being comfortable against the spinners.
The veteran opener has crossed 50 just twice in his past 20 Test innings. As a result, questions are being raised over his place in the Australian team ahead of this year’s Ashes series in England.
Commenting on Warner’s probable retirement, Ponting said, “For him to finish the way he deserves to finish, the obvious thing for me was maybe to pull the pin after Sydney. He got 200 in Melbourne, played his 100th Test, played his 101 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.”
