"I don't think anyone has the right"- Former Australian cricketer questions the prospect of 'farewell' Test for David Warner

Veteran Australian opener David Warner has been vocal about his desire to retire from Test cricket after playing his final game on his home ground in Sydney against Pakistan in January 2024.

However, former Australian cricketer Simon O'Donnell believes no cricketer should get the privilege of choosing a farewell Test. He believes playing for Australia should always be decided on merit and reckons Cameron Bancroft, who has been in sensational form in domestic cricket, deserves a look into the Test squad.

Here's what O'Donnell told SEN Radio about David Warner:

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"I don't like farewell tours. I didn't like it back in Steve Waugh's day or Mark Taylor's day. I think you're invited to play for Australia and it's an honour to do that. I don't think anyone has the right to say, 'I'll finish, on the 30th of June this year.' Do you make him (Bancroft) wait another summer? Because that's what he's going to have to do if that plan (to play Warner) goes ahead."

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World Cup win will buy some more time for David Warner: Simon O'Donnell

O'Donnell feels that Australia's 2023 World Cup triumph might just give David Warner that edge of getting his farewell Test just as he wants. The former cricketer continued to claim that he felt the veteran opener should only focus on white-ball cricket.

On this, he stated:

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"I do in the white ball (format), no problem at all. But with the red ball, I think it's time. But we're in this corner, we're just coming off a World Cup, and that's going to muddy the waters. Everyone will say, 'Oh yeah, what about his World Cup?' So that buys some more time (for Warner), I think."

With Pakistan set to tour Australia in December, it will be interesting to see whether Cricket Australia give Warner the farewell Test he wanted.

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