‘It’s now a fairytale ending’: The special touch in Warner’s farewell Test

Ahead of his home-ground farewell to Test cricket, David Warner has paid an emotional tribute to his 13th and final Test opening partner, Usman Khawaja, his teammate since they first played together in the under-12s for Randwick.

Warner was speaking on Monday at a press conference at the Sydney Cricket Ground, where he also announced his retirement from one-day cricket just two days out from his final Test, against Pakistan beginning on Wednesday.

″⁣I was saying to Uzzie this morning when we were out in the middle [looking at the Test pitch], with his debut Test, I was actually sitting up in one of the boxes up there and it was awesome to see. It’s now a fairytale ending,” Warner said.

“I don’t know too many cricketers who have gone through junior cricket with each other and played the highest level for a long period of time. Just to see him come back the way he has the last two years has been absolutely amazing. I know his family are really, really proud of him. I’m really, really proud of him as a mate.

“And it brought a tear to my eye when he scored that hundred when he first came back [at the SCG two years ago]. But, yeah, I think when you’re childhood friends and you get to go out here at the SCG as kids, dreaming big, it’s a great feeling. I love him.”

Warner’s departure from the 50-over format comes after the 37-year-old was Australia’s leading run-scorer during their ODI World Cup campaign, which ended in triumph in November.

Cricketers David Warner and Usman Khawaja in their junior days.Credit: Instagram

“I’m definitely retiring from one-day cricket as well,” the dynamic opener said as his teammates trained at the SCG. “That was something that I had said through the World Cup, get through that, and winning it in India, I think that’s a massive achievement.

“So I’ll make that decision today, to retire from those forms, which does allow me to go and play some other [Twenty20] leagues around the world and sort of get the one-day team moving forward a little bit.”

However, Warner left the door ajar for a potential return to 50-over cricket in the 2025 Champions Trophy, a mini World Cup.

“I know there’s a Champions Trophy coming up. If I’m playing decent cricket in two years’ time and I’m around and they need someone, I’m going to be available,” he said.

He will continue to be intermittently available for Australia’s T20 team, with a view to playing the T20 World Cup in June in the West Indies and US. Victory would mean Australia hold all three major International Cricket Council trophies, along with the World Cup and World Test Championship title.

David Warner with his wife Candice and their children at the SCG on Monday.Credit: Steven Siewert

Warner is likely to miss the T20 series against the West Indies in February as he expands his new cricketing life as a T20 gun for hire. His IPL team, Delhi Capitals, owns a team in the UAE’s T20 competition, Dubai Capitals.

He is seeking an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from Cricket Australia to play in the league, with the Dubai team’s first game to be played on January 21. Warner will play a few matches for Sydney Thunder in January but would miss the BBL finals if he is cleared by CA to play in the UAE.

His two-year contract to play matches for the Thunder when available ends this season, but he said he was keen to continue playing in the competition.

Warner announced at the beginning of last year’s Ashes tour that he would like to finish his Test career in Sydney this week, but said he had wondered if the second Test at Lord’s in June would be his last.

“It has actually become more emotional,” Warner said of his approaching Test retirement. “When I looked at Lord’s as a potential finish, I didn’t really have many emotions because I was content.

“I might not have been scoring runs, but I still had the desire to play Test cricket. I love the game of cricket, it doesn’t matter what format I’m playing. But definitely it’s been emotional since Perth, since I’ve been back to Australia and knowing that I’m playing [my final Test series].

“Getting that 160 [164 at Perth Stadium last month], putting us into a great position for the team, it hit home when people in the streets were coming up and saying, ‘Well done, we support you, we back you’. It really means a lot.

“The emotions probably started then. I thank all the supporters and the fans out there, because they’re the key shareholders in the game. Without them, you know, we don’t get to play the game that we love. We don’t get to entertain – and we’re in the entertainment business. That really, really means a lot to all of us.”

Sports news, results and expert commentary. Sign up for our Sport newsletter.