David Warner won't accept Cricket Australia contract amid uncertain white-ball future
The 37-year-old will retire from Test cricket this summer - but he's not finished just yet.
David Warner has revealed he won't accept a new contract from Cricket Australia if offered one for next year, and probably won't be playing in white-ball games against the West Indies this summer. Warner will retire from red-ball cricket after the third Test against Pakistan at the SCG in January, which takes place before three Tests against the Windies.
The Aussies are then scheduled to place ODI and T20 matches against the Windies, but Warner won't be taking part. However that doesn't mean he'll be retiring from limited-overs cricket as well, with the veteran batter keen to take part in the T20 World Cup in 2024, and maybe even the Champions Trophy in 2025.
AWKWARD: Mitchell Starc called out by Ian Healy amid family detail
HUGE: Pat Cummins reveals future as white-ball captain of Australia
By declining a new contract from Cricket Australia, the 37-year-old will be able to pick and choose the T20 competitions he plays around the world amid a desire to spend more time at home with his three young daughters - Ivy Mae, Indy Rae and Isla Rose. He also wants to be involved with the Sydney Thunder during the BBL this summer, despite holding a contract with the Dubai Capitals in the International League T20 competition that takes place at the same time.
"I won't be taking a contract, definitely not," Warner told reporters in Kolkata ahead of Australia's semi-final against South Africa at the World Cup on Thursday. "How the system works in Australia is that if you play five (T20) games or ODIs, or three Tests, you get upgraded and then you're legally bound by contracting system with sponsors and stuff.
"That's something that becomes a bit of a pain in the backside, especially at my stage of my career. So I don't want to be signed to that agreement and that's something I have to think about moving forward, because if you're going to get a low contract, it's going to cost you a lot in the long run with sponsorships.
"I've got to sit back and have a look at what the schedule is, the (ICC) Future Tours schedule and you've got a Champions Trophy that's coming up as well. So they're potentially on my horizon."
David Warner keen to spend more time with family
He also admitted he didn't want to take a contract away from a younger player whose full commitment would be to Australian cricket. "It's probably pointless me taking that contract given that I'm not going to be playing Test cricket … but you don't want to disturb what's happening as well," he said.
"Twenty-year-olds now are going to have to make the decision of whether they're going to go and play international cricket or franchise cricket. Fortunately enough, I've had a very good, successful international career and I'm at the back end where I'm able to choose that."
The 37-year-old is looking forward to the freedom to be able to decide when and where he plays, particularly now that his daughters are growing up and playing their own sport. "I'll have to give myself a little bit of time off after summer to actually think about all of that first," he said.
"My goal is still to set my sights on playing the Twenty20 World Cup in the Caribbean first (in June next year), and I think from there I'll probably decide what I'm going to do with white-ball cricket. I'm still feeling fit. I'm very comfortable with what I'm doing. So I've got to sit down and look at what there is, and what I can play."
Sign up to our newsletter and score the biggest sport stories of the week.
