In Short
- David Warner should have retired after his 100th Test match, said Ponting
- Australia will be bringing back Warner for the WTC Final, feels Ponting
- Australia will not pick Warner beyond WTC Final, Ponting has predicted
By India Today Sports DeskLegendary Australian captain Ricky Ponting has said that the Pat Cummins’ team will not be dropping David Warner for the World Test Championship Final, set to be played in June. Australia will be facing either India or Sri Lanka depending upon the result of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and New Zealand vs Sri Lanka series. The match will be played in England, like it was in the first edition of the tournament.
Ponting, while speaking in an interview with the International Cricket Council has said that he feels Australia will call Warner back only for the WTC Final.
“I think they’ll definitely want to play him in the World Test Championship match,” Ponting said on The ICC Review.
“They have got some really big decisions to make, leading into the Ashes [in England] as well. A bit like some of the selection issues they had coming to India,” the former captain added.
Ponting was of the opinion that Warner would not be called up for the Ashes due to his issues against Stuart Broad, but he will be given one last chance in the final of the WTC.
“But I don’t think it’s the end of David Warner, I think they’ll bring him back for that one game. If he does well there, then I think he’ll probably start the Ashes and see from there.”
The former batter further added that Warner missed out on the best chance to retire from Test cricket. Ponting explained that Warner could have hanged up his boots right after his 100th Test match where he scored a double century against South Africa.
“He’d just played his 100th Test in Melbourne, and obviously got 200 in the first innings down there. And to bow out in front of his home crowd is obviously the way that every player would like to finish their careers,” Ponting said.
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