Warner not in consideration for Champions Trophy 2025, confirms Australia's national selector

David Warner will not be considered for next year’s ODI Champions Trophy, despite his recent indication of willingness to play in the tournament after announcing his international retirement. Warner reiterated his decision to retire from international cricket after the T20 World Cup in a social media post, echoing his January statement that last year’s ODI World Cup would be his final appearance in the format. George Bailey, Australia’s national selector, confirmed that Warner is considered fully retired, emphasizing the appreciation of his legacy as an all-format player.

Warner’s retirement and selector’s perspective

David Warner’s announcement of his retirement from international cricket had been anticipated since he stated that the ODI World Cup would mark the end of his career in the format. However, his recent comments on social media suggested he might be open to participating in the 2025 ODI Champions Trophy. Despite this, George Bailey, Australia’s national selector, has clarified that Warner is fully retired and his contributions to the game should be celebrated. Bailey also noted that while Warner is moving on, the selectors are not disregarding other players in white-ball cricket as they shift their focus to future competitions.

“Our understanding is that David is retired, and [he] should be commended on what has been an incredible career across all three formats,” Bailey said. 

“The next T20 World Cup is 2026, so I imagine there may be some more changes than what we are seeing in this squad but specifically to those guys [Starc and Maxwell], no we haven’t had any conversations,” he added.

Australia’s squad adjustments and future plans

In preparation for upcoming tours and tournaments, Australia’s selectors have made several significant decisions. Matthew Wade appears to have played his last game for Australia, although this has not been officially confirmed. Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell have been rested for the T20I series but their long-term future in the format remains undecided ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.

The T20I squad for the tours of Scotland and England includes call-ups for Cooper Connolly and Jake Fraser-McGurk, following Australia’s Super Eight exit in the West Indies. Australia has nine T20Is scheduled this year—three each against Scotland, England, and Pakistan—before a break until next July, which begins a series of 17 games leading up to the next World Cup.

Reflecting on last month’s T20 World Cup, Bailey expressed frustration over Australia’s sudden exit, attributing it to defeats against Afghanistan and India after an unbeaten streak. He also praised Mitchell Marsh’s captaincy, who will lead both squads on the UK tour as Pat Cummins takes time off to prepare for the home summer.

“I loved the way he captained through the T20 World Cup,” Bailey said. “He was really clear on how he wanted to lead that team. He was as disappointed as anyone that we didn’t get to the end goal that everyone was hoping to achieve, but if you look at his early success rate as a captain across T20 he’s done a really great job.”

See Also: Rohit Sharma comments on his retirement plans after quitting T20Is – Cricket Winner

Australia’s strategic adjustments and focus on nurturing new talent reflect their commitment to maintaining competitiveness in international cricket while respecting the contributions of veteran players like Warner.