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David Warner is feeling exhausted ahead of next month’s test tour of India and admits he would have preferred the Allan Border Medal night off this Monday to recover from a busy summer at home.
Warner’s eventful campaign officially came to a close on Friday night when the Brisbane Heat knocked his Sydney Thunder out of the Big Bash League final.
Starting in August, Warner played in the white ball series against Zimbabwe, New Zealand, England and the West Indies, in every game of Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign, in every Test game of the home series against the West Indies and South Africa. and then coached six BBL games in his return to the tournament.
“It’s been a challenge,” Warner told reporters of his busy summer.
I’m pretty tired, exhausted.
Warner had to hold back tears when he won the Allan Border Medal at the 2020 ceremony (pictured on the red carpet with his wife Candice), but this year he’d rather be home.
The superstar batsman is “exhausted” after a long and controversial summer of cricket in Australia and is desperate to get as much rest as he can before the Test team’s tour of India.
India’s rough turf lies in wait, as does the challenge of finding consistent form with the bat after a test summer that yielded a memorable double century and a string of unconvincing strikes.
The 36-year-old has five days to rest before India, but one of his nights will be taken up by Cricket Australia’s Allan Border Medal, attended by the Test team ahead of their staggered flights.
T20I teammate Marcus Stoinis and BBL star Chris Lynn will miss the awards night to play franchise cricket abroad.
“There are some guys who have gone to the UAE League, who don’t go to the Cricket Australia awards,” Warner said.
“From my perspective, it would have been nice to have had another night at home. But it is what it is.’
Warner (pictured with his wife Candice) has been playing with only a few short breaks since last August and his summer only ended last Friday when his Big Bash League team lost
The star batsman fought back tears as he won his third Allan Border Medal in 2020 as he returned to international cricket following his year-long ban over the ‘sandpapergate’ cheating scandal in South Africa.
His disgust at the sport’s biggest night is shared by former Test skipper Michael Clarke, who revealed in December last year that he only attended the ceremony because it was mandatory for cricket stars.
‘I think of (the) Allan Border Medal, right. The Allan Border Medal was mandatory, which is why I went. If they had given me the option, even winning the Allan Border Medal, I would not have gone, ”he explained.
“You have media around all the time, so you can’t just sit back and drink because there’s going to be a picture or a video and someone being pissed on or under the weather, and then you have to read about it.” the next day.’
Former Test captain Michael Clarke (pictured with Jade Yarbrough) also didn’t want to attend cricket’s biggest night, not because he was exhausted, but because the media presence meant he couldn’t relax and ‘get bothered’.
Warner’s best performance of the BBL summer came on Friday night, when 36 quick 20-ball runs kept the Thunder on track before rain ended the game.
While his results have not lived up to his billing, the opener said his intention had never been to use the BBL cameo to prepare for the longer format in India.
“You’re not really trying to deny the spinning ball, it’s also a cue ball,” Warner said of the BBL.
“For me, it was about coming back and trying to inject some energy into the Thunder team and trying to do my best for the team.”
It hasn’t come out this year.
Warner is contracted for one more summer with the Thunder and will arrive at the tournament thanks to an ODI World Cup in India, and possibly after an equally busy home Test summer if he is still playing and drafted.
“Hopefully next year I can go out there and be a little bit fresher than I am right now,” he said.
‘It will be a long prelude to our summer.
“From a personal standpoint, I’m going to have to try and figure out how to stay nice and cool.”