David Warner and Usman Khawaja mull on not to clash retirement in coming days

The star Australian David Warner has revealed that he has a mutual understanding with his opening partner Usman Khawaja to not retire at the same time. Australia's red-ball opening pair is now over 36 and is next in line to retire from international cricket and that will create a big void in Australian cricket, especially at the top order with lack of options at the moment.

There is no official update on Khawaja's retirement timeline but Warner revealed his retirement plans after the T20 World Cup 2022. The left-handed batter confirmed that he will be retiring from Tests in the next 12 months but will stick around in white-ball cricket. But replacing Warner will be a big task for the management and the player wishes for no turmoil in the Test team post his retirement.

“We’re going to enjoy the next 12 months, enjoy it as much as we can,’’ Warner told Fox Cricket. "For us, it’s about not leaving this team with a big hole. I know through those five-year transition period when a lot of the greats left, they’re big holes to fill with the amount of games you play. We always talk about games played and how much that means to a team’s performance and perspective with experience. You can’t fill that void.”

The team is in a great spot for when we decide to leave: David Warner

Australian management included Matt Renshaw in the squad for the ongoing third Test against South Africa at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The left-handed middle-order batter returned to international cricket after a gap of almost five years. Marcus Harris has also been around the red-ball team for a good period of time and is a strong contender for the opening spot once Warner and Khawaja retire. Warner feels that the team is in a great spot with the likes of Renshaw and Harris when he and Khawaja decide to leave.

“We’ve got great players coming through with Renshaw now coming back into the fold. Marcus Harris has 15 to 20 Tests under his belt. He’s got that experience, now it’s taking that game to the next level for him and establishing his spot. The team is in a great spot for when we decide to leave, or get tapped on the shoulder,” Warner added.

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