Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan says two Australian superstars could retire from Test cricket during final Ashes clash at The Oval
- Rumor David Warner and Steve Smith are about to play final test matches
- England’s great Michael Vaughan dropped a bomb ahead of the Fifth Test
- The 36-year-old Warner previously stated that he wants one last summer in Australia
- Smith, 34, regarded by some fans as the best player since Sir Don Bradman
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan has dropped a bombshell by declaring that David Warner and Steve Smith are both ready to retire from Test cricket at The Oval, where the Ashes series will end.
Vaughan, 48, said there was a ‘whisper’ from reporters at Old Trafford during the fourth Test that the two Aussie superstars could call it quits when it comes to the traditional form of the game.
If true, it would leave a gaping hole in the Australian testing team that could take years to fill.
“The whispers in Manchester were… and I have no idea where they are [journalists] get this whisper, but that if Warner plays at The Oval it will probably be his last Test,” Vaughan said on Fox Cricket.
And there was [also] rather strong whispers about Steve Smith that it could also be his last time out for Australia.
Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan has dropped a bombshell by declaring David Warner and Steve Smith ready to retire from Test cricket at The Oval
Steve Smith (pictured right) made his Test debut in 2010 and is now one of the most important figures in world cricket
“Again, I haven’t personally seen that, but it’s the whispers and the gossip.
“Maybe it was the rain that got people talking, but that was the talk of the press box, that maybe a few Australian legends would call it a day.”
The 36-year-old Warner stated last month that he will play his final Test against Pakistan in Sydney in January – but after another disappointing Ashes on English soil with the bat, his place in the XI is anything but guaranteed.
Smith, 34, has long been Australia’s best player – and while events in Cape Town five years ago led to a 12-month suspension under his leadership and tarnished his reputation, ‘Smudge’ is irreplaceable in the eyes of many cricket fans.
Some believe him to be Australia’s best batsman since Sir Donald Bradman, ahead of fellow greats Allan Border and Steve Waugh.
David Warner stated last month that he will play his last Test in Sydney in January – but after another disappointing Ashes on English soil with the bat, his place in the XI is not guaranteed
Meanwhile, former selector Mark Waugh believes Pat Cummins’ days as Australia captain are numbered.
‘I think mentally [during the fourth Test in Manchester] he just looked burnt out in the field,” he said.
“There was so much pressure on him as captain of the side and field placements and his own bowling suffered.
‘You see it is [captaincy] influence him and you don’t want that with Pat Cummins because he’s a lead actor. “You don’t want it to burn out quickly.”
The fifth Test at The Oval in London begins on July 27.