David Warner has declared his international career a “closed chapter” but at the same time, the Australian batting great won’t mind padding up in the Champions Trophy next year should he be selected, something that has been described as an “emergency option” by his ODI captain Pat Cummins. Warner retired from ODIs after Australia’s World Cup-winning run in November last year, while his last Test was against Pakistan in January. His final T20I came against India on June 24 at the shortest format’s recently-concluded global showpiece .

“Chapter closed!! It’s been an unbelievable experience to play at the highest level for such a long period. Australia was my team. The majority of my career was at the international level. It’s been an honour to be able to do this. 100 games in all formats is my highlight,” Warner wrote in an Instagram post on Monday.

“I will continue to play franchise cricket for a while, and I am also open to playing for Australia in the Champions trophy if selected,” he added.

This is not the first time that Warner has shown interest in playing the 50-over tournament. Even while announcing his ODI and Test retirement in January, he had said he’d be open to playing the Champions Trophy, which is set to return after an eight-year hiatus in Pakistan next year.

Back in January when Pat Cummins was asked about Warner’s return for the Champions Trophy, Cummins had said “I think it’s probably time to give some others a crack [in ODIs], but knowing that he’s going to still be playing cricket.” “So it might be more of a kind of break glass in an emergency option. But, you know, David is going to be scoring runs somewhere in the world. So you never quite know that this is (the end).” Reflecting on his illustrious career, Warner, who retired as Australia’s highest scorer and seventh-most prolific batter in the world in T20 format with 3,277 runs from 110 matches at an average of 33.43 and strike rate of 142.47, thanked his family, fans and teammates.

“For all the cricket fans out there, I truly hope I have entertained you and changed cricket, especially tests, in a way where we scored a bit faster than others. We cannot do what we love without the fans, so thanks.

“I want to say thanks to everyone out there who has made this possible. My wife and my girls, who sacrificed so much, thank you for all your support. No person will ever know what we’ve been through.

From 112 Tests, he has scored 8,786 runs at an average of 44.59 with 26 hundreds and 37 fifties between 2011 and 2024.

He also scored 6,932 runs from 161 ODI matches at an average of 45.30 with the help of 22 centuries and 33 half centuries.

“To the players and staff, thanks for putting up with me. No more what’s app junk, your ears are now going to be free of my voice. This team has had unbelievable success the Last few years and long may this continue. Pat Cummins, Andrew old Mac and staff have got this,” he added. 

Australia’s David Warner has tipped Jake Fraser-McGurk to fill the opening role for Australia and believes that the youngster will have a “fantastic career” for the Baggy Greens. Warner has recently spent a lot of time with the 22-year-old. Both of them featured for the Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Jake was also with the Australian team during their T20 World Cup campaign as a travelling reserve. Warner’s international career ended after Australia crashed out of the Super 8 stage of the tournament after Afghanistan and India inflicted back-to-back defeats on them.

After Australia’s exit, Warner passed the baton to the youngster as the next opener in the T20Is and ODIs.

“Every time I put something out there, I become a selector, (but) I think he’s definitely got the ability to do that,” Warner said, as quoted from cricket.com.au.

“He can lock it in. And a bit like myself, you (have to learn) how to play … 50 over cricket. That’s one thing that I learnt from Twenty20. I got dropped after seven games because I didn’t really understand how to play the game of one-day cricket. So, from a one-day perspective, if he learns that and understands that, he’ll have a fantastic career, especially batting in Australia. Best wickets in the world,” he added.

With Australia looking towards the future, Jake could be one of the names that could pop up in their tours of Scotland and England as Australia.

Jake struck 51 across two matches off 23 deliveries during Australia’s ODI series against West Indies earlier this year. Before that, he set a world record by slamming a ton in a mere 29-ball one-day ton in the Marsh Cup.

He went on to set the new standards in the IPL while opening for Delhi Capitals. In nine IPL 2024 matches, Jake racked up 330 runs at an average of 36.66 and a whopping strike rate of 234.04, including four half-centuries and best score of 84.

However, the young opening batter isn’t looking to follow Warner’s footsteps in red-ball cricket. In the Sheffield Shield cricket, playing at the opening slot for South Australia didn’t suit him, and the experiment ended up as a failure. He scored 19 runs as an opener in four innings, but he scored his first hundred in first-class cricket while playing at the number six spot.

“Last year when I was put up to open the batting in Shield cricket, that’s not me … it was torture. That’s one thing I won’t be able to do,” Fraser-McGurk said on Cricket.com.u’s Unplayable Podcast during the tournament.

“Traditionalists have a go saying, ‘Why don’t you want to play Test cricket?’ I never said I didn’t want to. Everyone wants to. Obviously, everyone wants to, but it’s just what opportunities will come and also am I going to be able to get that opportunity. I haven’t had a great Shield career to date – hopefully. that changes. But my career started turning around when I was focusing on the white ball … it’s something to work on,” he added.

After their T20 World Cup campaign ended on a bitter note, Australia will travel to Scotland for a three-match T20I series which will kick off on September 4.

One of the greatest batters of all time, David Warner‘s international career ended on a bitter note after Australia failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals, exiting in the Super 8 stage. For Australia to continue their journey in the tournament, they needed Bangladesh to beat Afghanistan in the final Super 8 match on Monday. Though the Bangla Tigers came close, Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq and others stepped up at crucial intervals to knock the Aussies out of the tournament with a win.

Australia’s premature elimination from the tournament also confirmed Warner’s international exit. The opening batter had already confirmed that the T20 World Cup in USA and West Indies will be his last in the Australian shirt.

Despite hinting at a potential return for next year’s Champions Trophy, it appears unlikely, Warner ended his international career in stages, playing his last ODI during Australia’s triumphant 2023 campaign in India, his final Test against Pakistan in early 2024 and was set to finish altogether after the 2024 T20 World Cup.

His breathtaking 89 from 43 balls on his T20I debut against South Africa told the world of his talent. In 110 matches he scored 3277 runs including a century against Pakistan in 2019–third Aussie to score centuries in all three formats of the game, and 28 half-centuries.

Away from international cricket, he has had a prolific franchise T20 career, especially in the IPL, and in 2021 became just the fourth batter to pass 10,000 runs in T20.

“(I) put my arm around him,” Australia Ricky Ponting recounted on ICC’s Digital Daily show. “I said, ‘…just take a moment tonight to sit back by yourself and reflect on what’s been an unbelievable career across all three formats for Australia.’

“We know he retired in the summer from test cricket, but you’ll struggle to find a guy that’s had as big an impact on all three forms in Australian cricket than David Warner has.

“I’ve been able to play with him, I’ve been able to coach him in the IPL the last couple of years and I really enjoy his company. So he should be very proud of what he’s done.”

Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood had also spoken of Warner’s international retirement after the team’s defeat against India in the Super 8s.

“We’ll definitely miss him around the group, out in the field and off field,” Hazelwood had said after the team’s loss to India.

“(An) amazing all-format career. It’s sort of been a slow burn with Test cricket and ODI cricket and now T20. So, life without him, we’ve sort of gotten used to it a little bit … it’s always different when you lose a player that’s been there for so long.”

With IANS Inputs

He has had the best seat at the other end of the 22 yards watching David Warner in full flow and no wonder Usman Khawaja wants Australian team to give his opening partner a fitting farewell with a T20 World Cup triumph. Warner is set to retire from international cricket once Australia’s campaign in the ongoing T20 World Cup concludes, which Khawaja loves to believe will only be after winning the coveted final. “As a friend, I’d love to see him (Warner) finish on a high. He’s been playing some really good cricket. It’s been really nice to see. You can tell he’s just enjoying being out there. He’s playing pretty relaxed. So he should. Yeah, it would be good to see,” Khawaja told PTI Videos in an interview ahead of Australia’s last Super 8s match against India.

The veteran Australia opener is confident that a shock defeat against Afghanistan won’t stand in the way of Mitchell Marsh’s team winning the T20 World Cup for the second time since 2021.

Even if Australia lose to India in their last Super 8s match in Gros Islet on Monday evening (India time), Afghanistan will then have to meet improbable equations in order to beat them in net run-rate. “If Australia beats India and makes it to the semi-final, I think definitely, I think they can win. I think we’ve just got to get to the semi-final,” Khawaja said.

He spoke about Australia’s ability to lift their game at the knock-out stages.

“I think we’ve shown over the years that we’re a great knockout team. As soon as there’s a knockout situation, more times than not we’ve won, but we’ve just got to get there.” Khawaja praised Marsh for his leadership skills and his captaincy is a reflection of the kind of person he is.

“I think his captaincy is just him. It’s him as a person. He doesn’t try to be anything that he’s not. He’s relaxed. He goes out and plays the game, takes the game on, leads from the front, leads by his actions. So, I’ve really enjoyed watching his captaincy,” he said.

The 37-year-old Pakistan born batter, who has played 73 Tests for the ‘Baggy Greens’, also said that no team is invincible but acknowledged that India will be tough to get past.

“I mean, India’s always a threat. They have batters left, right and centre. They have great bowlers. They have excellent spinners. They have literally all bases covered. They always have. I wouldn’t go out and say India’s so far ahead, a better team than everyone else, because they’re not.

“So I think on any day, any team can beat anyone, particularly in T20 cricket,” he observed.

On Australia’s forthcoming series against India and the home Ashes in 2025, Khawaja termed both as pinnacle of cricketing contests.

“It’s always tough to beat India in India. But in the last couple of series, India has beaten Australia in Australia, which is never nice for an Australian. So, yeah, we’ve got a lot to play for. It’s a big series. To me, England and India are the two biggest series,” he exclaimed. PTI HN KHS Khawaja concluded by reflecting on the enduring popularity of Test cricket in Australia and the new golden ticket initiative taken by cricket Australia. “The baggy green is still the pinnacle of Australian cricket. I think we’re very lucky in Australia. I still think we get paid really well to play Test cricket. It’s not the same across the world. So, it’s a little bit different for us. We don’t have to try as hard. Because we have a long-standing tradition. And kids that grow up these days still want to get a baggy green,” he noted. 

Following a setback against Afghanistan that left Australia speechless at Arnos Vale Ground, captain Mitchell Marsh has issued a warning to his teammates ahead of their final clash in the Super 8 against unbeaten India at the 2024 T20 World Cup. The spirited performance from Afghanistan left Australia in a peculiar situation. Australia will now step into Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia to face India in a must-win game. With the Baggy Greens looking to bounce back from their recent setback, Marsh emphasized the need to win against India.

“First and foremost, it becomes clear for us. We need to win, and no better team to do it against. Full credit to Afghanistan for tonight, and we move on quickly,” Marsh said in the post-match presentation.

Things didn’t fall in place for Australia as they looked to sneak away a win and seal their place in the semi-final.

Catches were dropped, and a couple of misfields led to boundaries. Ashton Agar misjudging the ball as it went away for a four was one such example of their struggles.

It eventually came back to haunt Australia as a couple of errors in the field allowed Afghanistan to put 148/6 on the board.

“They got 20 too many. And to be honest, they played a really good game of cricket. We were outplayed tonight,” Marsh added.

Marsh won the toss and decided to bowl. Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan admitted that they wanted to bat because the record indicated chasing a target on the surface was a taxing job.

“We did think about it. A lot of teams have bowled first at this World Cup to get an idea of the surface. Don’t think we lost at the toss. It was an off-night for us in the field, and we own that. We’ll be back next game. It wasn’t an easy wicket, but both teams played on this surface,” Marsh concluded.

With their fate hanging in balance, Australia will face India at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Saint Lucia, on Monday to fight for their semi-final spot.

Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 Live Streaming: Australia take on Afghanistan in the Super 8, hoping to all but seal their place in the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup. On the other hand, after a crushing 47-run loss to India, Afghanistan cannot avoid another loss to keep their semi-final hopes intact. The Asian nation will need to provide Rahmanullah Gurbaz with more support in batting, which has been their big weakness. Australia are firing on all cylinders and will look to remain unbeaten in the 2024 T20 World Cup.

When will the Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match be played?

The Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match will be played on Sunday, June 23 (IST).

Where will the Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match be played?

The Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match will be played at the Arnos Vale Ground, St. Vincent.

What time will the Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match start?

The Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match will start at 6:00 AM IST. The toss will take place at 5:30 AM IST.

Which TV channels will telecast the Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match?

The Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match will be telecast in India on the Star Sports Network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match?

The Afghanistan vs Australia, T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match will be streamed live on Disney plus Hotstar app and website.

(All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster)

AFG vs AUS T20 World Cup 2024 LIVE Scorecard: Afghanistan need to win to stay alive in T20 World Cup.© AFP

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell lavished praise on the destructive opening duo of David Warner and Travis Head while talking about the factors that help them complement each other in the opening slot in the ongoing 2024 T20 World Cup. Warner and Head have turned up on numerous occasions for the Baggy Greens laying the foundation for their successful totals. Head was a revelation for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. He racked up 567 runs in 15 matches at an average of 40.50 and a whopping strike rate of 191.55.

Warner had a relatively quiet season with the Delhi Capitals but has found his groove in the ongoing tournament. The duo have complemented each other throughout Australia’s unbeaten run.

“Yeah, I think they both hit it in such different areas. I know they both cut well, but I think the way that Trav (Travis Head) has gone through the IPL, dominated, done really well, it’s come in with a lot of confidence and he’s just played such good, aggressive cricket and probably taken the game away from a lot of teams. And David has started so crisp pretty much in most of the games,” Maxwell said in the pre-match press conference.

In the group stage against England, the duo made short work of the English bowlers with their classic stroke play. They used the wind to their advantage and forged a 70-run opening stand of a mere 30 deliveries.

Their quick-fire partnership laid the foundation for Australia to put up a competitive total of 201/7.

“And you got to look back at that England game where they sort of broke the back of the match in those first six overs when the wicket wasn’t playing like a 12 an over in a power play type of game, but the way that they I suppose got us ahead allowed us to sort of set up the back end and we’re very blessed to have two extremely talented guys at the top of the order who are doing a great job for us,” he added.

Australia will play their next Super 8 game against Afghanistan on Sunday at Arnos Vale Stadium.

Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

Travelling Reserves: Jake Fraser-McGurk, Matt Short.

Premier pacer Pat Cummins grabbed the tournament’s first hat-trick and spinner Adam Zampa showcased his artistry to fashion Australia’s 28-run win over Bangladesh via the Duckworth Lewis (DLS) method in their Super Eights fixture of the T20 World Cup in Antigua. If Zampa (2/24) operated with precision in the middle overs, Cummins (3/29) claimed three wickets off successive balls at the back end, as Australia restricted Bangladesh to 140 for eight after Mitchell Marsh opted to bowl first in the rain-interrupted game.

Veteran opener David Warner (53 not out off 35 balls) then hit a scintillating half-century, a knock that was studded with five fours and three sixes.

Australia were in a hurry to finish the game with openers Warner and Travis Head (31) going hammer and tongs from the very first ball.

The pair raced to 60/0 before rain interrupted play. Once play resumed, the Aussies lost a bit of momentum as Rishad Hossain (2/23 in 3 overs) got into the act.

The young leg-spinner removed Head and Mitchell Marsh (1) in quick succession.

Despite the twin blows however, Australia never looked in trouble as Warner went about his business.

Playing his last T20 World Cup, he brought up his fifty with a majestic six.

When rain stopped play for the second time, Australia were 100 for two in 11.2 overs, 28 runs ahead of the DLS par score of 72.

Earlier, left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc expectedly gave Australia the early breakthrough as he got Tanzid Hasan in the first over to become the leading wicket-taker in World Cups (95), moving past Sri Lankan legend Lasith Malinga.

Liton Das (16) and skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto (41) repaired the innings by stitching a 58-run stand.

Shanto smacked Josh Hazlewood for a six over long on in the fourth over. He then took on Starc, hitting a couple of fours in the fifth over.

But when Zampa had the ball he immediately put an end to the partnership, trapping Das leg before wicket in the ninth over.

Australian spinners Zampa and Glenn Maxwell tightened the noose around Bangladesh who could only muster 26 runs from the ninth to the 13th over while losing Rishad Hossain (2), and the key wicket of Shanto, who was dismissed by Zampa.

Hridoy (40 off 28) took Bangladesh past the 100-run mark and tried hard to inflate his side’s total. He smashed back-to-back sixes off Marcus Stoinis.

But any chance of a strong finish by Bangladesh was dashed by Cummins who made a significant impact at the fag end of the innings.

The pacer took wickets off consecutive balls in the end of the 18th over. Mahmudullah attempted a pull shot but ended up playing the ball back on to his stumps. Cummins then had Mahedi Hasan caught by Zampa.

The pacer returned in the last over to send Hridoy packing with his first ball to complete the hat-trick.

AUS vs SCO LIVE Cricket Score Updates© X (formerly Twitter)