David Warner hopes to end Test career with swansong at SCG next year

David Warner. File
| Photo Credit: AP

Star Australian opener David Warner on Saturday revealed his desire to end his red-ball career with a swansong Test at his home ground at the SCG against Pakistan in January.

Talking ahead of Australia’s training session here, Warner, who is preparing for next week’s World Test Championship (WTC) final against India, said he hopes the Sydney Test against Pakistan would be his last.

However, given his recent struggle in the longest format of the game, the southpaw isn’t guaranteed a spot in the Australian Test side.

“You’ve got to score runs. I’ve always said the (2024) T20 World Cup would probably be my final game,” Warner said.

“I probably owe it to myself and my family – if I can score runs here and continue to play back in Australia – I can definitely say I won’t be playing that West Indies series.

“If I can get through this (WTC final and ensuing Ashes campaign) and make the Pakistan series I will definitely finish up then,” he added.

After the WTC final, Australia are scheduled to play a five-match Ashes series against England.

Warner is a part of Australia’s squad for the WTC final as well as the first two Ashes Tests. But the selectors have also picked Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw as options.

Warner managed just 26 runs in three Test innings during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India earlier this year.

At the end of the year, Pat Cummins and his men will take on Pakistan in a three-Test series with the final game slated to be played in Sydney on January 3 post which they host the West Indies for a full series.