Seasoned Australian opener David Warner is likely to miss the upcoming white-ball series against the West Indies to make himself available for T20I League competition. The left-handed opener is all set to play in T20 competitions such as the Big Bash League and the International League T20 following his retirement from red-ball cricket.
According to Espncricinfo, Warner will represent the Dubai Capitals in the second edition of the International League T20, which takes place from January 19 to February 17. Before that, he will play for the Sydney Thunder in the present Big Bash League.
The Chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association Todd Greenberg, confirmed the news to SEN, that David Warner will play for the Sydney Thunder in the BBL shortly after the last Test against Pakistan next week.
However, he will not play in the white-ball leg of the series, which begins on February 2, but will instead play for the Dubai-based side in the ILT20, which runs from January 19 to February 17.
“I think the short answer to that is probably yes. I know he’s pretty committed to the BBL. There’s no doubt in the next phase of Dave’s life he’s going to be looking to ply his trade where he gets the best return on his investment. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, in fact, I’m encouraging him to do that”.
“There will be times where he’ll be looking to miss certain games and tours. That’s the sort of flexibility we’ve got to get our heads around. Some people won’t like that, but that’s the modern world in which we’re living and we have to embrace it,” Todd Greenberg said.
The selectors had reportedly planned for Warner and other key players to miss the West Indies series for quite some time, as per ESPNcricinfo.
However, they will have a full-strength squad for the T20Is in New Zealand to prepare for the World Cup in the Caribbean and the United States in June. Warner is expected to be among the players in the squad.
After his last Test against Pakistan, Warner is scheduled to play for Sydney Thunder in BBL. It is unclear whether he will be eligible for playoffs if the Thunder qualify. The chief executive of the Australian Cricketers’ Association stated on Thursday that he expects Warner to apply for a No Objection Certificate to play in the ILT20.