"What baffles me is that this guy had his swansong last summer to say farewell" - Lisa Sthalekar on David Warner's offer to reverse retirement
Former Australia women's team captain Lisa Sthalekar has lambasted David Warner for hinting that he is ready to come out of retirement for the Border-Gavaskar series. The former opening batter bid farewell from Tests after the home series against Pakistan earlier this year, and played his final Test at his home ground in Sydney.
With Australia running helter-skelter to find a new opening partner for Usman Khawaja after abandoning the Steve Smith experiment, Warner recently told Code Sports that he is only one call away. The former opening batter recently played in the Zim Afro T10 League and the MAX60 Caribbean, and claimed that he is ready to play a couple of matches in the Sheffield Shield as well to prove his worth.
Lisa Sthalekar was far from pleased with Warner's gesture, and claimed that Australia must find a solution to the opener crisis soon.
“What baffles me is that this guy had his swansong last summer to say farewell and finish on his terms. One could argue that because of that allowance, the team is in this situation as selectors didn’t use those Tests wisely to blood the next opener," Lisa Sthalekar told The Nightly.
"Therefore, Warner suggesting to answer the mayday call if it was to come, will only kick the issue down the road again. With England coming out next summer, enough is enough," she added.
Australia have several options to choose from aside from Warner when it comes to the opening slot. Naming someone from the domestic circuit or using someone from the current playing XI as a makeshift opener are all potential strategies.
"I did retire for the right reasons to finish the game" - David Warner
The retired batter has certainly caused a stir with his comments, which are yet to be addressed publicly by either skipper Pat Cummins or head coach Andrew McDonald.
“I’m always dead serious. Let’s be honest, the guys have played one red ball game (first round of the shield) since their last Test matches in February, so I’ve almost had the same preparation," Warner told Code Sports recently.
“Honestly, if they really needed myself for this series, I’m more than happy to play the next Shield game and go out there and play. I did retire for the right reasons to finish the game, and I wanted to finish. (But) my hand is up if they desperately need someone. I’m not going to shy away from that," he elaborated.
The 2024-25 Border Gavaskar series is scheduled to begin from November 22 onwards at the Optus Stadium in Perth.