Australian batting legend David Warner's 15-year international journey, a mix of brilliance and controversy, concluded without fanfare after Afghanistan's win over Bangladesh knocked the former champions out of the T20 World Cup at the Super Eights stage.
Defending champions Australia finished a disappointing third in their Super 8s group, managing just two points from wins against Bangladesh. They were upset by Afghanistan and humbled by India.
The 37-year-old Warner debuted in a T20I in 2009 and had a subdued exit. His final match, a 24-run loss to India on June 24th, saw him score just six runs before edging to the fielder. He left the field with a low head, unaware it would be his final international appearance.
Warner's retirement has been a gradual process. He played his last ODI in the World Cup win over India (Nov 2023) and his final Test against Pakistan (Jan 2024). He had previously indicated this T20 World Cup would be his swansong.
He retires as Australia's highest scorer and seventh-most prolific batter in the world in T20 format with 3,277 runs from 110 matches, at an average of 33.43 and strike rate of 142.47. He scored one hundred and 28 fifties in the shortest format.
From 112 Tests, he has scored 8,786 runs at an average of 44.59 with 26 hundreds and 37 fifties between 2011 and 2024.
He also scored 6,932 runs from 161 ODI matches at an average of 45.30 with the help of 22 centuries and 33 half centuries.
Warner, who has 49 centuries across formats and close to 19,000 runs in international cricket, had acknowledged that his name will forever be linked to the sandpaper gate scandal that took place at Newlands, Cape Town during a Test match against South Africa in 2018.
Warner's involvement in the scandal in the Newlands Test, when Cameron Bancroft used sandpaper to scuff the ball earned him a one-year ban, the same punishment as that of the-then skipper Steven Smith.
Warner was also banned for life from taking any leadership role in the Australian cricket setup.
"I think it's going to be inevitable that when people talk about me in 20 or 30 years, there will always be that sandpaper scandal," he said last week at North Sound ahead of Australia's Super 8 clash against Bangladesh.
"But for me, if they're real cricket tragics and they love cricket, (as well as) my closest supporters, they will always see me as that cricketer - someone who tried to change the game.
"Someone who tried to follow in the footsteps of the openers before me and try and score runs at a great tempo and change Test cricket in a way." Warner was also a part of the IPL side Sunrisers Hyderabad from 2014 to 2021 and led the franchise to its only title in 2016.
(With PTI inputs)
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