Mark Waugh and Ricky Ponting say the ‘knives are sharpening’ for David Warner’s Test cricket career

David Warner missed the chance to end his Test career on his own terms, and two Australian cricket greats have suggested it may not be an Ashes lock without the utter faith of the selectors.

Having posted scores of 1, 10 and 15 in India before being sent home to recover from a broken elbow, doubts are being cast over Warner’s place in the XI ahead of this year’s clash in England.

Warner struggled in the 2019 series in England, averaging just 9.50 in five Tests with three ducks, as he was ruled out seven times by pacer Stuart Broad.

Outside of the 200 he made in the Boxing Day Test against South Africa at the MCG last summer, Warner has broken 50 just twice in his last 20 Test innings and, at 36, the end looms.

Arriving home in Sydney last week, Warner said he had “no intention” to retire.

David Warner has returned home from India due to injury and his Test career may be over (pictured, following his sacking in the second Test in Delhi)

Former Test captain Ricky Ponting has said Warner missed the ‘obvious’ opportunity for the perfect retirement in the Sydney Test, the 101st, and now his career could end unpleasantly.

Ponting said that Warner could reach the World Test Championship final before Ashes, but that could be a curtain call.

‘I think I’ve heard him talk about his cycle before. This current cycle will end after the World Test Championship, which is obviously the week before the first Ashes Test and I think everything is going well and they want David to get through at least until the end of that Test Match,” Ponting told RSN .

Although it depends on him. The only currency you have as a batsman is runs and if you’re not scoring any, you’re left open.

“It has happened to all of us, it happened to me. When you get to a certain age and it seems like your form is dropping a bit, then the knives get sharper and it doesn’t take long.

“For him to finish the way he deserves, the most obvious thing to me was maybe to get the pin out after Sydney.” He scored 200 in Melbourne, played his Test 100, played his Test 101 in Sydney, his home ground and may end up there.

Australian cricket great Ricky Ponting feels Warner should have withdrawn from Test cricket in January at the SCG, his home ground.

Former national selector Mark Waugh is also unsure if Warner will play for the Ashes, especially given that he averaged just 9.50 in the 2019 series in the UK.

“The last thing he deserved is to be off the road and get in the middle of a series and get dropped and his career is over. That would be a horrible way to end for him.

He’s a hot-headed little man, a pretty stubborn bastard, so we’ll see how he fares.

Great tester and former national selector Mark Waugh was of a similar opinion to Ponting, unsure if Warner will feature in Ashes.

“I don’t think the selectors want to end David’s career as he is now with injury,” he told RSN.

“I think he has enough credits in the bank to be in the side I think for the World Test Championship, which I think Australia will do and then [you have] the ashes after that.

I think that’s probably going to be the T-junction when they have to decide which way to go.