The famous Australian David Warner has disclosed that he and his opening partner Usman Khawaja had agreed not to retire at the same time. Australia’s red-ball opening combination is now over 36 and is set to retire from international cricket, leaving a significant hole in Australian cricket, particularly at the top order, where choices are currently limited.
There has been no official update on Khawaja’s retirement timeframe, although Warner has said that he would retire after the T20 World Cup in 2022. The left-handed hitter revealed that he would retire from Test cricket in the next 12 months but will continue to play white-ball cricket. However, replacing Warner will be a difficult challenge for management, and the player desires for minimal disruption in the Test team after his retirement.
“We’re going to enjoy the next 12 months as much as we possibly can,” Warner told Fox Cricket. “For us, it’s about not leaving a major void in this squad. I know from the five-year transition period when many of the greats departed that it’s difficult to replace significant voids with the quantity of games you play. We constantly discuss games played and how important they are to a team’s performance and viewpoint with experience. That gap cannot be filled.”
Matt Renshaw has been included to Australia’s team for the current third Test against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground. After an almost five-year absence, the left-handed middle-order hitter returned to international cricket. Marcus Harris has also spent a significant amount of time with the red-ball squad and is a strong candidate for the opening berth if Warner and Khawaja depart. When Warner and Khawaja opt to depart, the squad will be in good hands with players like Renshaw and Harris.
“We’ve got terrific guys coming through with Renshaw now coming back into the fold. Marcus Harris has played 15 to 20 Tests. He’s got the experience; now it’s about pushing his game to the next level and securing his position. “The team is in an excellent position for when we decide to depart or when we are tapped on the shoulder,” Warner remarked.
