- Warner ended his international playing career this year
- Has officially retired from the Aussie T20, ODI and Test teams
- Where he has surfaced now will shock many cricket fans
It was only seven months ago that David Warner scored a thrilling half-century in his final Test innings at the SCG. Now, however, he has defeated a seasoned Italian player in an obscure competition that few cricket fans have heard of.
Warner’s lengthy farewell ritual ended during this year’s T20 World Cup, after his final ODI on November 23 against India and his final Test match against Pakistan in January.
His offer to come out of retirement for the Champions League tournament was politely declined by Cricket Australia.
Now the former Australian season opener is officially a cricket loanee, and his most recent outing was an unmitigated failure.
Warner now plays for the Boca Raton Trailblazers in a T10 league in the Cayman Islands called MAX60.
Boca Raton, Florida is one of the most popular places to retire in the United States. Ironically, it is not lost on many cricket fans.
As if that poor start wasn’t enough, Warner had to settle for an away game against Australian-born Ben Manenti, who plays for Italy and has only 20 first-class appearances to his name, netting just 12 runs.
Fox Sports commentator Justin Edwards posted the wicket on social media platform X, saying: “This is what cricket has become.”
David Warner goes for the big throw as he plays in the Cayman Islands for the Boca Raton Trailblazers in the MAX60 T10 competition
He was quickly back in the sheds and scored just 12 runs in nine balls in his first match
Warner is the star player of the Florida-based roster of international and local talents
While Warner departed cheaply, his opening partner, Tasmanian all-rounder Beau Webster, scored 82 from 36 balls.
A few Australians laughed at Warner’s performance, but the majority praised him for his attempt to popularise cricket in the Cayman Islands and the United States.
‘Isn’t it good for cricket in general? A player like David Werner playing in overseas tournaments after retiring from International Cricket and trying to grow the game in those countries and make money at the same time. More players should do that,’ posted one Australian cricket fan.
“Imagine if you hated the attempts of a developing cricketing nation to grow the sport locally in this way,” added another.
‘It’s interesting to see big names like David Warner playing in competitions like T10 in the Cayman Islands. Cricket continues to evolve with new formats and opportunities for players around the world,’ posted another.
It was only seven months ago that Warner scored a half-century in his last Test at the SCG
Others said Warner had earned the right to cash in after decades of hard work for Australia.
‘Maybe it’s just a holiday to the Cayman Islands with some cricket thrown in and nothing more. Cricket isn’t going to die over this,’ posted one Aussie on X.
‘This is just a holiday with a bit of cricket. Nothing else. But I’m not sure we can judge the future of cricket by this. He’s retired and has probably played more than any other Aussie in the last 10 years,’ posted another.
‘Ronaldo is playing in Saudi Arabia… you have to let the legends play at a certain level of international cricket,’ another noted.
Before the tournament started, Warner tried to make the program attractive to Australian viewers.
“Hello, Dave Warner here. I would like to say how excited I am to be part of the first ever MAX60 Caribbean cricket league,” he said.
“It will be fantastic to play in such a breathtaking location on Grand Cayman.
“It’s going to be absolutely amazing. So join us, MAX60 Caribbean League starts on August 16th in the Cayman Islands. See you there.”
Other Australians taking part in the tournament include Joe Burns, Mitchell Owen, Andrew Tye, Chris Lynn, Peter Hatzoglou, Josh Brown and Nick Hobson.