Australia legend Ricky Ponting has warned under-fire opener David Warner that he needs to start "looking to the future" amid questions over his future as a Test cricketer.
The 36-year-old has not scored a Test hundred in almost three years and has averaged just 20.61 this year. During the Australian summer, Warner has managed just 105 runs at 17.50 so far against the West Indies and South Africa, with Kagiso Rabada notably dismissing him for a golden duck at the Gabba.
It was just the second golden duck of Warner's Test career, with the first coming against Sri Lanka back in 2013, and Ponting has urged him to consider his future as he "deserves the chance to finish the way he wants".
Retirement is certainly on Warner's mind at the moment, having admitted in November that 2023 could be his "last 12 months in Test cricket" and that he could call time on his career after next year's Ashes series.
However, Ponting believes his current form means Warner may not even make it to the Ashes and he feels he should have the opportunity to end his Test career on his own terms instead of getting axed by Australia.
"I think what he should be doing is being as realistic and looking to the future as he can," Ponting told Channel 7. "Like I said before, he deserves the chance to finish the way he wants to finish.
"I would hate to see him get to an Indian tour or at the start of the Ashes tour and then get the tap on the shoulder. That would be a disappointing way for his career to end…it might be after the Sydney Test [vs South Africa in January].
"Let's wait and see. Also, I hope that he gets some runs between now and then." Warner does have the backing of head coach Andrew McDonald, who has said he remains in Australia's plans for their upcoming tour of India in February.
"He's eager to continue on at this stage," McDonald said. "He has not hinted [at] anything else. His appetite for the work - in and around training - is still there. He's busy at the crease, and you've seen signs that he is going well. He's just found different ways to get out, and sometimes that can happen."
