David Warner hints at international retirement backflip after T20 World Cup heartache

David Warner has flirted with the idea of returning to the international cricket arena despite previously declaring that the T20 World Cup was the final tournament he would represent Australia in. The newly retired Australian opener thanked fans, his national teammates and staff in a social media post on Monday night but said he was "open" to a comeback if Australian selectors wanted him for the upcoming Champions Trophy.

The 50-over tournament, which is set to return after an eight-year hiatus in Pakistan next year, was originally in Warner's plans before he decided that the World Cup was the perfect place to bow out. However, his send-off didn't go to plan with Australia crashing out to India by 24 runs in the Super Eight stage.

Warner's last innings at the international level was also not one the retiring cricket great will look back on fondly, dismissed for just six. The veteran batsman scored a respectable 178 runs at the T20 World Cup but managed just nine runs in his last two innings after being removed for three in the previous defeat against Afghanistan.

The 37-year-old is arguably the greatest multi-format batter in Australia's history and has been a mainstay in Australian cricket teams for well over a decade, with the T20 World Cup being his international swansong after already retiring from Test and ODI cricket. But one last hurrah is seemingly appealing for Warner, with Australia’s sixth-highest run-scorer in ODI cricket willing to step in if selectors call on him.

But it is not like Australia is short on options, with emerging top-order pair Jake Fraser-McGurk and Matt Short both in top form. In particular, Australian selectors have been under pressure to give Fraser-McGurk the keys to the top order and many believed he should have been at the T20 World Cup instead of Warner after his barnstorming IPL campaign.

The youngster stunned home fans when he debuted for Australia, smashing 41 runs off 18 balls against the West Indies earlier this year. He then took the IPL by storm, racking up a whopping 330 runs, including four half-centuries at a stunning strike rate of 234 for the Delhi Capitals.

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David Warner unsure about when he will retire from cricket

Even if Warner doesn't re-enter the international cricket arena, he has previously said he wishes to continue playing on the T20 circuit. And while he did not clarify how long he wishes to continue, the 37-year-old said he would continue to play the short-form game "for a while".

“The majority of my career was at the international level. It’s been an honour to be able to do this,” Warner wrote on Instagram. "100-plus games in all formats is my highlight. I want to say thanks to everyone out there who made this possible.

"For all the cricket fans out there, I truly hope I have entertained you and changed cricket, especially Tests, in a way where we scored a bit faster than others. I will continue to play franchise cricket for a while, and I am also open to playing for Aus in the Champions Trophy if selected.”

with AAP