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David Warner has lifted the lid on his Test retirement, while his wife Candice has fired back at critics of the superstar Australian batter.
The 37-year-old bowed out on his home turf in Sydney over the summer, ending a stellar career in the baggy green that spanned more than a decade.
Warner had been floating the idea of retirement for a number of years, but announced during last year’s Ashes campaign that he would finish up in early-2024.
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But speaking on Backstage With Cooper and Matty Johns podcast, the left-hander explained the situation and why he didn’t want all eyes to be fixed on his swansong.
“I didn’t care – I don’t ever feel pressure,” Warner said.
“I think at the back-end, all the focus started being on me and I’m about the team. I’m putting my hand up to do the media because it’s about the team.
“When I made the statement of ‘Sydney would be great, it would be fitting if I’m to get there’ … but I had pencilled in Lord’s as my finish. That was the second Test [of the series] and if I wasn’t going well then, I might as well retire.
“I wasn’t scoring runs or upholding my standards and I didn’t want to let the team down.
“The focus was on me, but I was just going out there and trying to reverse it.”
Warner’s final series in the Aussie side saw him score a brilliant century against Pakistan, before reaching a half-century in his final Test at the SCG.
The criticism that was levelled at him from the likes of Mitchell Johnson only spurred Warner on during his farewell tour and throughout his career, but his wife Candice saw it a little differently over the years.
“There was always that level of someone wanting him to fail,” she said.
“David didn’t care so much about what was written about him, but I did and I still do because I’m so protective of him.
“I’ve got a little list of all the people that have said some really horrible things and there’s been times where I can’t bite my tongue.
“It was just a massive pile-on because it was easy and you could get a headline.”
Warner will feature in the T20 World Cup later this year if selected, likely bringing an end to his multi-format international career.
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