Australian batsman David Warner is contemplating retiring from T20I cricket.
Warner has suggested leaving the shortest format of the game to prolong participation in ODI and Test cricket.
He is part of Australia's squad for this month's T20I series against South Africa. The left-hander will play for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League next month.
What Warner said
“I don't have a Big Bash League team; I took a break during this period, and that was about my body and my mind, making sure I'm getting ready for the next series that comes up. If you look at T20 Internationals, we've got back-to-back World Cups as well, that's probably a format that could be one I'd probably drop in a few years,” said Warner.
“I have to look at the schedule; it's going to be very difficult [for me] to play all three forms, and good luck to all the guys who want to keep playing that. You talk to guys like AB de Villiers and Virender Sehwag, these guys who've done it for a long time, it does become challenging. Having three young kids and my wife at home all the time, the constant travelling becomes very difficult. If it was to come down to leaving out one format, it would probably be the International T20s.
“For me it's about working out time frames with different series, identify when you need a bit of a rest. Generally, we play a Test series and go into a one-day series. We went to India and then generally you have a one-day series at home, back-to-back games and then you go away. So, it was a bit different this year; I was able to have that opportunity to have that break which I'm grateful for.”
Warner who won the coveted Allan Border Medal at the Cricket Australia awards earlier this week. He beat team-mate Steven Smith to the accolade by one vote. Fast bowler Pat Cummins was also in contention.
