David Warner reveals his preference in cash vs country debate

David Warner wants to enjoy one last Australian summer wearing a baggy green cap – but there’s a catch – with the veteran refusing to sign a new contract with Cricket Australia.

David Warner says he has still hasn’t been told whether he will get his desired Test farewell this summer but has left the door ajar to playing white-ball international cricket beyond next year’s Twenty20 World Cup.

Opening up on his past and future ahead of Australia’s World Cup semi-final against South Africa at Eden Gardens, Warner indicated he would not sign another Cricket Australia contract – in part because it will affect his off-field commercial opportunities – and that he would not be playing Australia’s next lot of one-day internationals against the West Indies in early February.

However the opener, who has starred at this tournament, has not ruled out trying to play at the 2027 World Cup, by which time he will be nudging 41.

“Yeah look everyone wants to set themselves a realistic goal,” Warner said.

“And in four years’ time, Bradley Hogg played till he was past 40. Chris Gayle. Shoaib Malik did the same thing. I’m still feeling fit. I’ll have to give myself a little bit of time off after this summer, to actually think about all of that first. My goal is still to set my sights on playing the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean (next June) first. And I think from there, I’ll probably decide what I’m going to do with white-ball cricket. Obviously, you’ve got contracting systems and all that stuff inside that. So, there’s a lot of things you’ve got to factor in as well. They’re probably going to be conversations I’ll have after this summer.”

David Warner wants one more summer of Test cricket. Picture: Getty Images

After a middling stretch in Test cricket, Warner stated ahead of this year’s Ashes series that he was keen to complete his career in the baggy green with a final series against Pakistan at home this summer.

Selectors are yet to declare publicly whether Warner will be granted his wish, and Warner said there had been no private confirmation either, despite the first Test in Perth being less than a month away.

“You don’t get told anything,” Warner said.

“It’s like every white-ball series. No one gets told anything until the white-ball series is done. That’s in everything. You just hope you don’t get a phone call when you’re in the team,” he added with laughter.

While it is widely expected Warner will hold his spot for the Pakistan Tests, what his future looks like in white-ball cricket is harder to predict.

The left-hander has signed with the Indian-backed Dubai Capitals in the ILT20 league, which runs from January 19 until February 17. That means it overlaps with the finals of the Big Bash League, where Warner is contracted to play for Sydney Thunder, as well as Australia’s home ODI and T20 series against the Windies.

David Warner plays for the Delhi Capitals in the IPL and will play for the Dubai Capitals in the ILT20. Picture: AFP

Warner said he would not play those matches against the Windies, but then curiously rejected the idea that it was because of his commitments in the UAE.

“No, not because of that,” Warner said.

He was then intriguingly equivocal about whether he would play for the Thunder this summer.

“Ahh, potentially if the dates align with what my schedule is,” he said, adding that he had his brother’s wedding in mid-January muddying the waters.

The T20 World Cup shapes as Warner’s main international target following the Pakistan Tests, however he said it was conceivable he could keep playing at times for Australia beyond that, raising the 2025 Champions Trophy as another potential target.

However any cricket he plays for his country after the middle of next year will be done as a freelancer, with Warner saying he would turn down a central contract even if he triggered one by playing enough games pursuant to cricket’s pay scheme.

“It’s really difficult. I’m at that stage in my career now where I think, 20-year-olds have to make a decision if they’re going to play international cricket or go franchise cricket,” Warner said.

David Warner pictured with his wife Candice and their daughters from left, Isla Rose, Ivy Mae and Indi Rae. Picture: supplied

“Fortunately enough, I’ve had a very good and successful international career, and I’m at the back end where I’m able to choose that. So I’ve got to sit down and look at what there is, what I can play.

“Obviously, I’ve got my family as well. That’s the preference. Trying to map out in a year what there is. As I said about the contracting system as well, it’s very difficult to say I want to play T20Is and ODIs. You don’t want to be taking contracts away from a young kid who’s coming through.

“To be fair, that’s probably pointless me taking that contract, given that I’m not going to be playing Test cricket as well.

“I think the next 12 months, there’s not really much cricket on to be fair. For me, it’s trying to map out each year as it comes. Speak with the wife. Now the kids are busy playing sport as well. So, I’ve to manage my time.

“(If you accept a deal) you’re legally bound by a contracting system with sponsors and stuff. That’s something that becomes a pain in the backside as well, especially at the stage of my career I’m at. I don’t want to be signed to that agreement as well.

“That’s something I have to think about moving forward. Because if you’re going to get a low contract, it’s going to cost you a lot in the long run with sponsorships. And then you can’t map out your year, if that makes sense. I want to look at what the schedule is, in the FTP (future tours program) as well. We’ve got a Champions Trophy that’s coming up as well. They are potentially on my horizon.”

Originally published as David Warner reveals his preference in cash vs country debate