In spite of the pressure from the selectors, Warner has promised to continue playing international cricket until 2024 if the selectors decide to end his impressive Test playing career.
He returned to Sydney on Thursday after having to cut short his trip to India owing to an elbow fracture. Warner was also hit in the head during the second Test loss in Delhi and was replaced before day two of play.
Even though he has only scored one Test century over the past three years, the 36-year-old believes he is the correct choice to open the batting on this year’s Ashes tour.
“I’ve always said I’m playing until 2024; if the selectors feel that I’m not worthy of my spot, then so be it, and I can push on to the white-ball stuff,”
Warner told reporters at Sydney Airport.
“I’ve got the next 12 months, a lot of cricket ahead for the team and if I can keep scoring runs and putting my best foot forward for the team and I can help my spot, it’d be great for the team.
“It’s easy pickings [for critics] when you’re 36 going on 37. I’ve seen it before with the ex-players as well. So for me if I’m taking pressure off the rest of the other guys, and no one’s worrying about the rest of the team, I’m happy to do that.”
Tony Dodemaide, an Australia selector, refused to say if Warner would still be part of the team for the five-Test tour to England in June.
“We’re worried about what we can get out of these remaining two Tests in India, obviously that’s a clear focus for us at the moment,”
Dodemaide said on Wednesday.
“We’ll address the Ashes planning at a later time, but we are committed to picking the best fit and available players for the Test series, particularly something as big as the Ashes.
“That’s not a question that we’ve addressed so far. We are very keen, as everyone I’m sure at home would be, for us to get something out of this remaining series.”
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood and bowling all-arounder Ashton Agar have also left the problematic trip, leaving Australia down 0-2 and with no chance of winning back the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith (vc), Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner
India squad: Rohit Sharma (c), KL Rahul (vc), Shubman Gill, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KS Bharat, Ishan Kishan, Ravichandran Ashwin, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Suryakumar Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat
