Australia: Australian cricket legend David Warner has announced his retirement from One Day International (ODI) cricket before his final test match.
The 37-year-old had declared his retirement from the game of test cricket before the current series with Pakistan.
Warner declared on Monday that he was “extremely, extremely comfortable” with his decision to also retire from ODI cricket. In Australia’s victory over India in the Cricket World Cup last year, he was a key player.
The Australian player, who was the tournament’s leading run-scorer, said he felt the time was right after an “absolutely amazing” World Cup win.
Warner, who has a huge fan base after 14 seasons in the Indian Premier League, added that retiring would open doors for new players and give him more freedom to play franchise cricket abroad.
However, he did not rule out participating in the Champions Trophy in 2025 if necessary. On Wednesday, Warner will play his 112th and final test in Sydney, his home city.
Standing at the sixth spot in Australian ODI history with 6,932 runs scored in 161 matches, he is a prolific run scorer in the format. But his professional life has not been without controversy.
In 2018, Warner, who was the vice-captain of Australia at the time, received a one-year ban from participating in any international cricket matches due to his involvement in the ball-tampering incident known as “sandpapergate. Additionally, he is not permitted to assume a leadership role in Australian cricket teams going forward.
During the press conference on Monday, Warner stated that he was feeling “great.” “I would have never imagined opening the batting for New South Wales or anyone to be honest when I first started but to be here, 112 Tests I think, I still pinch myself,” Warner remarked.