adminDavid Warner will miss Australia’s one-day tour of Zimbabwe in August and September as he and fiancée Candice Falzon prepare for the birth of their first child.
Warner is currently in India for the IPL and after a home Ashes series, a tour of South Africa and a World T20 in Bangladesh, he wrote in a column for his website that his “batteries are slowly draining”. As a result, Warner will enjoy the extra time at home when the team flies out for the tri-series with Zimbabwe and South Africa, although it will be a busy time as he prepares to become a father.
“Candice and I have our baby coming in September, so it’s fantastic to be able to have that time off,” Warner wrote. “Since Darren Lehmann came on board as coach, he has told us all that family comes first and that’s a big thing because we are on the road for a long time.
“So that any time a major personal matter crops up — whether it’s a family member being sick, getting married or having a baby — the exemption is there for you.
“With the World Cup coming up next year and the fact that it’s an ODI tri-series in Zimbabwe, I would normally immediately put my hand up for selection.
“That’s because playing for Australia is what I have always wanted to do since I was a youngster and you never want to miss an opportunity.
“But that’s what happens in life — you settle down, you get married and you have children.”
Lehmann said Cricket Australia backed Warner’s decision to skip the tour.
“We are 100% supportive of David choosing to stay home and await the birth of his first baby,” Lehmann said. “It is an important time in anyone’s life and I am a firm believer that family comes first.”
The tri-series is Australia’s first international engagement after a rare winter without touring duties.
Their series begins with a match against Zimbabwe in Harare on August 25 and ends in early September. Warner’s focus will be to be ready for Australia’s series against Pakistan in the UAE in October. — Cricinfo.
Online Reporter