Cricket Enthusiasts Eagerly Await David Warner’s Farewell at T20 World Cup 2024

As the curtain falls on David Warner’s illustrious international career, Ricky Ponting believes the veteran opener’s departure will leave a significant void in the Australian team, both on and off the field.

With the T20 World Cup in the West Indies set to be Warner’s final assignment for the national side, Ponting, who coached the 37-year-old at the Delhi Capitals in the IPL, emphasized that the iconic cricketer’s impact transcends mere runs scored.

“He’s the sort of character you want to have around your team, especially in big tournaments like World Cups,” Ponting told ESPNcricinfo from New York. “And he’s just one of those natural winners. Everything he does, he wants to win. You can see that with his attitude in the field and the way he goes about his cricket.”

Ponting’s confidence in the depth of Australian cricket was evident as he discussed the potential successor to Warner’s opening slot. Jake Fraser-McGurk, who will be a traveling reserve during the World Cup, has caught the eye of the former captain with his “extreme talent.”

“It’s going to be really big set of shoes to fill, there’s no doubt about that. They have got a lot of depth there. I’d be very surprised if he [Fraser-McGurk] doesn’t go straight into the T20 team when David’s finally done,” Ponting said.

As Australia aims to unite trophies across all three formats, Ponting believes the current squad, led by the experienced duo of Mitchell Marsh and Pat Cummins, is well-equipped to achieve something “very special” at the T20 World Cup.

“It’s a really good group of players and it’s starting to get spoken about a little bit more,” Ponting added. “Certainly, even internally, you hear a lot of the players in these current teams [are] actually recognizing and talking about how lucky they are and what a special team that they know that they are playing in.”

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