"In professional sport, no one is guaranteed 2 or 3 matches" - Steve Waugh on the flaw in David Warner's retirement plan
Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has lent his opinion over David Warner's retirement plan from the longest format of the game. The veteran opening batter announced his intention to retire following the Test against Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in January 2024.
Warner, who has been vocal about his ambition of winning overseas in India and England, made his decision ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final. He found a place in the Australian squad ahead of Cameron Bancroft for the summit clash against India in England despite his shaky form.
Opining that it was a brave call by Warner considering how unpredictable the future is, Steve Waugh told AAP:
"It is not a bad idea to get it out there but that (Sydney) Test is (eight) Test matches away. In professional sport no one is guaranteed two or three matches. "It is good he has let people know his plan but that doesn't guarantee he is going to make it through to Sydney."
He continued:
"Everyone knows that as a professional cricketer you are judged on performances and you can't be guaranteed a spot just because you have (previously) scored a lot of runs or taken a lot of wickets. You have still got to perform."
Offering a view from a different perspective where his early declaration allows the selectors to plan the transition, Waugh added:
"At least we have a clear picture of when he is going to finish up, and maybe for the selectors it gives them a bit of room to plan for the future."
Players like Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Will Pucovski are in the pipeline to be Australia's next long-term opening batter. With Usman Khawaja also not getting any younger, the selectors may need more candidates from the domestic circuit to forge a new opening pair in Test cricket.
"I was pretty much forced into making a decision at that time" - Steve Waugh on the similarities between his and Warner's retirement decision making
Steve Waugh was arguably one of the finest captains that Australia ever had and much like David Warner's case, the public had an idea of his final Test appearance beforehand.
The former captain chose to end his career with the 2003-04 Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home, with his final match coming at Sydney, where he played a crucial knock to salvage a draw.
Revealing the circumstances during the final days of his career, Waugh said:
"I was pretty much forced into making a decision at that time. I was told to make a statement. It wasn't my plan to make a statement."
Warner came into the WTC final with a poor record in England on his shoulders but made a strong impression in the first innings. The veteran batter scored 43 runs off 60 deliveries, negotiating a tough opening hour of play after being put into bat by India.
Will Warner's retirement plan be according to his wish? Let us know what you think.