West Indies tour of Australia 2024: Australian star opening batter David Warner is all set to miss the ODI and T20i series against the Windies as he will be focusing more on franchise cricket by participating in the 2nd season of the International League T20. The 37-year-old is currently playing in the 3-match Test series against Pakistan and is all set to call time on his test career as the 3rd test match against Pakistan will be the final test match of David Warner’s career.
The Delhi Capitals opener has signed a deal with ILT20 franchise Dubai Capitals and will feature for them in the 2nd season of the International League T20, which begins on the 20th of January and ends on the 18th of February. The white ball leg of the West Indies tour of Australia starts on February 2 and ends on February 13, but Warner will be busy plying his trade for the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 and will not feature in the white ball leg of the West Indies vs. Australia.
The former Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper will also play in the current season of the Big Bash for the Sydney Thunder after the conclusion of his farewell test series against Pakistan, but there is no clarity regarding his availability for the Big Bash Final if the Sydney Thunder manage to qualify for the finals.
The news regarding David Warner’s unavailability has been confirmed by Australian Cricketers Association Chief Greenberg. In an interview with SEN, he said, “I think the short answer to this is probably yes. I know David is committed to the BBL. There’s no doubt that in the next phase of Dave’s career, he will be looking to ply his trade where he gets the best return on his investment. Nothing’s wrong with this, and even I am encouraging him to do the same.”
“There will be instances when he will try to avoid specific matches and tours. That’s the kind of adaptability we need to be aware of. Some people will be offended, but that is the current world we live in, and we must accept it,” Greenberg added.
This is not the first time that cricketers have prioritised franchise cricket over international cricket. Quinton De Kock recently skipped the 3-match T20i series against India in order to play in the Big Bash.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board banned Naveen UL-Haq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, and Fazalhaq Farooqi for 2 years from playing franchise cricket, as the three of them wanted to be released from their central contract in order to play franchise cricket according to their will.
The Aussies are expected to rest top players and field a second fiddle side against the West Indies for the ODI’s and T20i’s, and they are likely to select a full-strength squad for the T20i series against the Kiwis, keeping in mind the 2024 T20 World Cup.
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