Last Update on: July 25th, 2023 at 02:39 pm
Former England skipper Michael Vaughan has said that he has heard rumors about Steve Smith and David Warner retiring from Test cricket after the upcoming final Ashes Test at the Oval.
David Warner’s future in Tests has been a topic of discussion for quite some time now. The veteran batsman has failed to perform well in Tests in recent times and his poor display in the ongoing Ashes series has only increased the pressure on him. Not only the fans but several former cricketers have also publicly questioned the southpaw’s place in Australia’s playing eleven for Tests.
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Last month just before the World Test Championship final against India, Warner had stated that he would retire from Tests next year during the home season. The opening batsman had expressed his desire of playing his last Test in his hometown Sydney.
Unlike Warner’s situation, Steve Smith’s future in Tests has not garnered much attention in recent times. The Australia star is still one of the best batsmen in Tests in the world and recently showed his class again by scoring a sublime century during the second Ashes Test at the Lord’s.
Michael Vaughan on David Warner and Steve Smith:
Just two days before the start of the fifth and final Ashes Test between Australia and England, Michael Vaughan sensationally claimed that Warner and Steve Smith could retire from red-ball cricket after the game. The Ashes-winning captain said that few journalists have told him that both Smith and Warner could play their last Test for Australia this week.
“Well it’s always the case on a rainy day when the journos get a bit bored, and you start talking to a few,” Vaughan told Fox Sports.
“But the whisper was and I have no idea where they’re getting this whisper, but that Warner, if he plays at The Oval, it’ll probably be his last.
“Again I’m not too sure where they’ve got that. And quite a strong whisper was about Steve Smith that it could be his last time out for Australia at the Oval as well. Again, I’ve not seen that personally, but it’s just the whisper and the gossip.
“It might just be the rain in Manchester that gets people talking, but that was the talk of the press box yesterday that a couple of Australian legends, greats might call it a day at The Oval,” he added.
Well, Smith and Warner do have the opportunity to bow out of the Tests with a memorable series win. Having already retained the urn after the fourth Test ended in a draw, Australia are on the verge of winning their first series in England since 2001. A draw in the upcoming Test will be enough for them to clinch the series.
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