David Warner has right to decide Test cricket retirement, says Darren Lehmann

A former Australian coach says David Warner has earnt a farewell Test series and weighs in on where Travis Head should bat in the Test side.

Former Australian coach Darren Lehmann says David Warner has earnt his farewell Test series next month despite calls to take the timing of his retirement out of his hands.

Warner is determined to play the first three Tests of the summer against Pakistan and bow out in front of his home crowd at the SCG, but he only passed 50 twice as he averaged 29 with the bat over his 10 Ashes innings this winter.

Former Australian all-rounder Simon O’Donnell said he believed no player had the right to decide how long they could play on at international level, but Lehmann thought Warner’s World Cup form and remarkable Test record on home soil justified his decision.

“He’s going to get there now isn’t he? He’s only got the three Test matches against Pakistan and that’s him done,” Lehmann told SEN Breakfast.

David Warner’s Test form in 2023 was poor but he scored an epic double hundred in last year’s Boxing Day Test that may justify his selection, Darren Lehmann says. Picture: Michael Klein

“It’s a tough one because would he have got there if he didn’t get the 200 (in last year’s Boxing Day Test against South Africa)? Probably not.

“He did bat well in a couple of Test matches through the Ashes, and he’s played exceptionally well in the one-dayers and his record in Australia is second to none in the Test match format.”

Lehmann thought Cameron Bancroft led Marcus Harris and Matt Renshaw in the race to replace Warner for the following series against the West Indies and said Travis Head should be kept at No.5 despite his success at the top of the order in the one-day format.

A final round of Sheffield Shield games next week before the BBL begins and a Prime Minister’s XI game could determine which of the opening trio is picked against the West Indies.

“I’d probably go Bancroft ahead of the bunch at the moment, but that depends on what Harris and Renshaw do in the last couple of games,” Lehmann said.

Lehmann says fellow South Australian left-hander Travis Head should continue to bat at No. 5 in the Test team but is a good opening option in Indian conditions. Picture: Gareth Copley / Getty Images

“They’re all good players, whichever way they go. I think I’d leave Head at five … I’m happy with that, and the only thing with Head would be in India, when the new ball isn’t (influential) there, I’d open with him in India or the subcontinent, that’s where I would do it.

“For the summer, I’d certainly like two traditional openers.”

Lehmann encouraged the Australian selectors to back Head through any future form slumps, as he needed to be able to play freely to continue his success across all formats.

“I love his free spirit … I think in my day if you had that sort of flare, it was unheard of really, and now it’s gone the other way totally,” he said.

“He’s obviously worked really hard, and I think what knocked him around was getting dropped in that Test match in India when he came off a bumper summer.

“He’s come of age and it’s exciting … regardless of if he has a bad run, just keep playing him.”