As David Warner prepares for his final days as an Australian Test cricketer, the champion opener declared that he has no regrets about the manner in which he has pursued his career.
The 37-year-old delivered a New Year’s Day shock by announcing he will retire from one day international cricket ahead of the Sydney Test beginning on Wednesday.
As a youth growing up in a housing commission flat in Matraville, he said dreamt of representing his nation with distinction and will retire after almost 15 years doing so in the two longest standing formats of the game.
There have been superlative highs, from remarkable Test innings to World Cup triumphs in both T20 and ODI cricket, and very notable lows, including the South Africa saga in 2017 which saw him suspended and also banned from holding captaincy positions.
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But Warner, who was accompanied to the SCG by his family, feels he has emerged from cricket a better man and believes he has won back the respect that he lost in South Africa.
“Reflecting back on that whole period, my whole career, I’ve got no regrets, because you’re going to have a lot of hurdles that you have to jump. There’s going to be obstacles in the way. But you have to move forward,” he said.
“I’ve done that with dignity. I’ve come back and I have got a lot of passion for the game. And it was important from my perspective to make sure that I’ve given back.
“I (wanted to make) sure that I’ve not just gained the respect back, but making sure that I’m putting Australian cricket first.
“I want every young kid who wants to play cricket to dream to play for Australia and that was really important to me when I came back.”
Warner’s decision to retire from the ODI format is a surprise given his comments after Australia’s stunning World Cup success in India.
After the triumph in November, the left-hander said he believed he was capable of continuing on in the format to the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
But there is a caveat to his retirement announcement.
Warner said that if he is still playing well enough in a couple of years time, he would consider making himself available for selection in the ICC Champions Trophy if required.
Growing commitments in other competitions and also his life are a factor in his decision to retire from one day cricket.
The father-of-three is a star in the India Premier League and will also feature in domestic T20 competitions as soon as a tournament in the Middle East next month.
His commitment to the Delhi Capitals meant that he would have had to seek a release from Cricket Australia to miss the short-form series against the West Indies in February.
Warner’s next commitment for his country is likely to be the T20 World Cup in the United States and West Indies in June, provided he is performing well enough.
After playing in the Middle East in February, the dashing opener will again compete in the IPL between April and May.
Warner has also signed with Fox Cricket as an expert analyst and said he is looking forward to being able to pass on his expertise and experience to viewers from next summer.
Green to replace Warner for West Indies? | 00:57
There is no guarantee he will be able to commit to a full Big Bash League season next summer but he is hopeful of finding a way to make sure he is able to play some cricket in Australia.
“I’ve surprised myself at being able to play all three forms as well. It’s been very difficult, especially having three young children come along as well,” he said.
“I am definitely keen to pursue playing Big Bash again next year. There’s obviously going to be conversations behind the scenes to allow me to do that.
“Obviously I’m joining the Fox commentary team next year for the Test series against India, which I’m looking forward to.
“There is a BBL window that we’re able to play and there has clearly been a lot of talk about the IL T20 which we’ll be starting, I’m pretty sure, after the BBL.
“I would like to play BBL in and around the commentary stuff but I’ve just got to make sure that I am, one, playing to the best of my ability, and two, that I’m not hindering the team’s performances or upsetting the balance.”
Quizzed as to who he believes should replace him in the Australian team, Warner opted against offering an option, noting he had received criticism from a former selector in Jamie Cox when naming Marcus Harris as a frontrunner for the West Indies series.
But he is confident that there is enough talent in Australia for the national team to thrive in his absence.
“There is a lot of depth. There are a lot of players there who can fit into any three formats right now,” he said.
“There’s always change. There’s always retirements. There’s always failures and people having to come in and come out of the team.
“We are in a good position, I think, in Australian cricket to have the next generation and the current players that have not been selected, to take over. We have the right people there, I feel, to take over in all three spots.”