T20 cricket will be the preference with two T20 World Cups coming up, asserts David WarnerÂ
Warner wants to focus on T20s
|Seasoned Australian opener David Warner has made it clear that T20 cricket will take the front seat with two T20 World Cups lined up in the next two years. He also revealed that bio-bubbles are challenging sans family besides ruling out playing in the Big Bash League given the hectic schedule.Â
With two T20 World Cups lined up in the next couple of years in India and Australia respectively, T20 cricket is going to be the center of attraction for all the teams given they would want to start building up their teams, try out different combinations keeping in mind the different conditions and situations. David Warner, who is a gun T20 player and again finished a remarkable season with the bat in the Indian Premier League, made it clear that the shortest format will be the point of focus going forward.Â
The 34-year-old stated that they have already started preparing for the upcoming World Cups and sides are being picked keeping that in mind with India hosting the next T20 World Cup in 2021.
âThatâs something that we have identified as players and coaching staff already. I think you look at our one-day and T20 team, what we are picking is pretty relevant to what weâre going to face with the next couple of World Cups. If weâre going to take time off, it will be between those series. Obviously the preference is playing those World Cups,â Warner was quoted as saying by PTI during a virtual press conference ahead of the Australia-India series, reported Sportstar.Â
âGiven that thereâs a T20 World Cup coming up in India, the preference will be the T20 stuff first. But obviously youâve got that next T20 World Cup as well in Australia. So, thereâs a lot of T20 stuff over the next couple of years along with gearing up for that 50-over World Cup in 2023,â he added.
The schedule is going to be tight in international cricket especially for top teams like Australia after a long hiatus with new protocols of quarantine and bio-bubbles in place, which has been the case ever since cricket has returned in Covid-19 times. Warner opined that it's difficult to commit to which series he will play and which he won't given the complexities arising due to the bio-bubble sans family.
âItâs going to be very difficult to be able to do that. This last six months has been quite challenging in itself, getting used to these bubbles and trying to get used to not having family with me,â he said.
âTheyâre things that each player has different circumstances. The next 12 months is very difficult when you look at the calendar, thereâs going to be definitely times where you can come home and have time with your family. Weâre just not going to get that time to see our family and the back end of being here 14 days inside a hotel, add three kids and a wife into here, itâs going to be very difficult.
Most of the marquee Australian stars miss out on the country's premier T20 league - BBL - as players are generally part of the national side at that time or amid a busy international calendar. Warner said that it's difficult for him to feature in the franchise-based Aussie league due to the tight schedule and it's hard to find time off in between all this.Â
âItâs difficult for us players to play all three forms even if there is a window. You have got to have that break because you are going full tilt into summer as well. There is not an off-season for us,â he said.
âYou are playing overseas then coming into the (home) summer, then you have got to play Big Bash, then you play more Tests or an ODI series, then go away. For us, itâs finding that time to actually have time off," he added.
