New Delhi, June 25: David Warner signed off from his glorious international career with a defeat. He would have never wished to bid adieu to international cricket with a heavy heart.
A champion like him will be forced to remember his final international match as a moment of despair, a game where his national team bowed out of the ICC World Cup.
But Warner, the architect of several Ausralian wins across all formats has been highly praised by former Australian captain Ricky Ponting.
Ponting took a moment to offer Warner some heartfelt advice after Australia’s journey in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup ended in disappointment with a loss to India and Afghanistan's win against Bangladesh, marking the conclusion of the southpaw's illustrious career in national colours.
Speaking on ICC’s Digital Daily show, Ponting said he congratulated Warner on his glorious career for Australia after his final match against India.
“I put my arm around him,” Ponting told ICC. “I said, ‘...just take a moment tonight to sit back by yourself and reflect on what’s been an unbelievable career across all three formats for Australia." He emphasised Warner’s immense impact, saying, “You’ll struggle to find a guy that’s had as big an impact on all three forms in Australian cricket than David Warner has.”
Warner in his last ICC tournament scored 178 runs including two-half centuries. Warner scored 56 against Oman and 53 not out against Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup 2024. However, despite his efforts, Australia fell short of reaching the semi-finals after back-to-back losses to Afghanistan and India.
As the team prepares for a future without Warner, Australia acknowledged the void his absence will create. Josh Hazlewood, reflecting on Warner’s departure, noted, “We'll definitely miss him around the group, out in the field and off field. (An) amazing all-format career. It's sort of been a slow burn with Test cricket and ODI cricket and now T20. So, life without him, we've sort of gotten used to it a little bit … it's always different when you lose a player that's been there for so long.”
Australia’s cricket team will reconvene in a few months for a limited-overs series against England in the UK, scheduled for mid-September. These T20Is and ODIs will be the first tests for a top order sans Warner’s imposing presence.
Later in the year, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be up for grabs in a five-Test series against India on home soil. This high-profile series will offer Australia a taste of life without Warner in their Test setup, a transition they began earlier this year during their tour of New Zealand.
Warner's illustrious career no doubt had an anticlimax end. But nevertheless, he would continue to inspire generations for his fighting spirit, batting excellence, fielding abilities and more importantly the 'never say no' attitude. (With IANS support)
