David Warner has revealed his intentions to retire from Test cricket this summer, with the veteran opener in the midst of his final Ashes campaign.
The 36-year-old has been a key member of the Australian side since 2011, but has now indicated his desire to depart the format - potentially after a final match at his home ground in Sydney.
Warner has opened the batting in both the WTC Final and all four matches against England in recent weeks, with his inconsistent performances leading to increased pressure on his spot.
The dynamic left-hander also starred in the ODI World Cup, helping Australia to their sixth title at the tournament, but seemingly has no plans to retire from white-ball cricket at this stage.
When will David Warner retire from Test cricket?
Warner is hoping that his final Test appearance for Australia will be during a clash with Pakistan in Sydney early next year after getting through a gruelling six-week period in England.
He has already ruled out playing the following series against West Indies, with the intention of a farewell at the SCG in front of his home fans.
"I can definitely say I won't be playing that West Indies series," Warner told reporters in June.
“If I can get through this [UK tour] and make the Pakistan series, I will definitely finish up then. I've always played every game as if it's my last. It's my style of cricket. I just keep working as hard as I can to get there."
After scoring 201 runs across four Tests against England and again struggling against Stuart Broad, Warner is expected to play the final match at The Oval, which begins on July 27th.
Speaking to the media prior to the fifth Test, the left-handed dynamo said he is yet to make a formal decision on his retirement plans and suggested a potential replacement in the Baggy Green.
“I don’t have an announcement... for me it’s about trying to work hard in the nets as I did today and if selected, go out there and play and try and win an Ashes series," Warner said.
“I’ve probably left a few out there, but in saying that I’ve played a lot better than what I did last time.
"I feel like I’m in a good space, contributed well, and as a batting unit, we’re all about partnerships. I think the partnerships that we’ve had in key moments of this series so far have actually worked very well for us as a team.
“I’ve always said Matt Renshaw is a very good player. He can play both formats quite easily. He‘s tall. He’s exactly like Haydos [Matt Hayden]... we spoke about him in the early part of his career.
“I‘ve always felt and held him in high regard as a very good player. He’s worked on his technique. He’s been in and out of the squads, and I think he’ll be a great replacement.”
Retirement from Test cricket won't mean the end of Warner entirely though, with the Australian planning to continue playing short-form cricket.
He is targeting the 2024 T20 World Cup in West Indies and USA as a potential swan-song.
“You’ve got to score runs. I’ve always said the (2024) World Cup would probably be my final game,” he added.
“I probably owe it to myself and my family - if I can score runs here and continue to play back in Australia - I can definitely say I won’t be playing that West Indies series.”
Why is David Warner retiring?
There is no denying that age is not on Warner's side.
At 36 years of age, there have naturally been questions raised about his future in the baggy green.
In 32 Test innings since January 2020, he has scored just one century, with a number of early dismissals leading to debate about his selection.
His emotional double century against South Africa late last year was an emphatic response to those critics, with Warner maintaining his gig as an opener since then.
The Sydney-born batsman's desire to spend more time with his young family has also likely factored into his retirement plans.
If Warner plays every scheduled Test until his planned farewell at the SCG, he will depart as Australia's 10th-most capped Test player with 112 appearances.
