Australian opener David Warner achieved a milestone on February 9 by playing his 100th T20I match, joining Virat Kohli and Ross Taylor as the only cricketers to have played over 100 international matches in all formats.
Having recently retired from Test cricket, Warner made his first appearance in the white-ball series against West Indies, showcasing his talent with a quickfire 70 off 36 balls. Assistant coach Daniel Vettori commended Warner's achievement ahead of the match.
"Bull (David Warner) becomes the third Australian to play 100 T20s for Australia. More importantly, he becomes the third player ever to play 100 Tests, 100 ODIs, and 100 T20I joining Kohli and Ross Taylor. I think it is a testament to your skill and your fitness to be able to be here for such an extended period of time," Daniel Vettori said ahead of the first T20I against West Indies.
"I know that when you retired from Test matches there were a lot of people outside and inside of the team who said that you were Australia's greatest three format player and I think that playing your 100th game today is a culmination of that," Vettori added.
Australia's Preparations
Australia is currently preparing for the T20 World Cup scheduled for June, immediately following the Indian Premier League. The tournament will be jointly hosted by the Caribbean Islands and the United States of America. Although Australia won the T20 World Cup in 2021, they couldn't defend their title in 2022. Warner is in contention for the 2024 tournament.
Warner retired from Test cricket after a series against Pakistan, scoring a century in the first match but failing to replicate his success in the subsequent games. His final Test innings saw him scoring an entertaining 57 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
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