Australia star David Warner announces shock retirement from ODI cricket ahead of final Test

Warner calls time on 14-year Test and ODI cricketing career as one of top run-scorers for Australia

Australia’s cricket star David Warner has announced his retirement from one-day international and Test matches.

The 37-year-old opener will pad up for his 112^th and final Test match this week in Sydney against Pakistan and did not rule out playing in the 2025 Champions Trophy.

The left-handed opening batsman was among the winning team to lead Australia to win its sixth Cricket World Cup against India last year.

"I’m definitely retiring from one-day cricket as well," Warner said on Monday.

"That was something that I had said through the World Cup, get through that, and winning it in India, I think that’s a massive achievement.”

Warner, who became the first Australian cricketer to score 500 runs in two different ODI World Cups, said it was the right moment to call time after an "absolutely amazing" World Cup win.

"So I’ll make that decision today, to retire from those forms, which does allow me to go and play some other leagues around the world and sort of get the one-day team moving forward a little bit. I know there’s a Champions Trophy coming up,” he told reporters at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

David Warner was part of Australia’s record-extending winning World Cup team (Getty Images)

“If I’m playing decent cricket in two years’ time and I’m around and they need someone, I’m going to be available."

Warner finishes his career with 22 centuries and 6,932 runs at an average of 45.30 over 161 one-day internationals. The cricketer made his debut in January 2009, and took part in two World Cups.

The Champions Trophy, which hasn’t seen action since 2017, is poised for a comeback in Pakistan in 2025. While it has traditionally been a 50-over cricket tournament, recent reports suggest a movement to transition it into a Twenty20 format.

When Warner was first picked for the national team he had no prior experience in first-class cricket – the first time this happened for 132 years.

David Warner was Australia’s leading run scorer in cricket World Cup in 2023 (REUTERS)

But the cricketer, who is from Paddington, New South Wales, has also been embroiled in some controversies, including the 2018 ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

“Mistakes have been made which have damaged cricket,” Warner said. “I apologise for my part and take responsibility for it,” he had said at the time.