'Very few players get call on their own retirements...': David Warner handed alarming reality-check by cricket greats

David Warner's struggles against Stuart Broad continued in Headingley, with the England bowler dismissing Warner in both innings.

David Warner has had a forgettable outing with the bat in the Ashes series so far. In the third Test in Headingley, Warner fell prey to Stuart Broad again – the Australian batter had almost identical dismissals across both innings against the right-arm English pacer. Broad has now dismissed Warner on 17 occasions in Test cricket, as troubles continue to mount for the left-handed opener, who is now at risk of losing his place in the side.

Australia's David Warner walks off the field after losing his wicket during the 3rd Ashes Test (AP)

As Warner's struggles against Broad don't seem to end anytime soon, former cricketers Mark Butcher and Kumar Sangakkara discussed the Australian batter's issues in detail. On a segment for Sky Sports, Sangakkara drew reference from his own playing career and his experience of playing against Broad as well as James Anderson, stating that working on the nets is the only solution to the issue. Butcher, however, pointed out the major difference between Sangakkara and Warner's playing approach.

“I think Warner's issue is that he goes so hard at the ball,” Butcher began.

"Even if he does plays the line… imagine the ball is coming back in but because he's thrusting his hands at it so hard, it always carries. (With) Kumar (Sangakkara), one of the things that comes to my mind watching him bat was just how relaxed he was, and how much he allowed the ball to come to him and therefore if there is that little bit of movement and you're not going towards it, you can actually just pull the bat on the inside or you just hold the line, and the ball goes past.

“But one of David Warner's great strengths is how he goes at the ball and how aggressive he is. In Australia, where you don't get as much lateral movement, that's brilliant but here, you have to be a little bit more gentle,” Butcher stated.

As the conversation moved towards Warner's statement earlier this year about his Test future, where he had expressed his desire at bidding a farewell at the Sydney Cricket Ground during the Test against Pakistan, Butcher said the Australian opener might not get an opportunity to make that far.

“It's always quite presumptuous. There are very few people who get to call with their closing moment and they tend to be the absolute greats of the game. David Warner has been an excellent player but there comes a time when somebody else makes that call for you, I'm afraid. If Stuart Broad keeps knocking…,” Butcher said, fearing the worst for Warner.

“If Australia were to win this Test and win the Ashes, then there might be a sentimental reason to say, 'you know what, we'll let him carry on until the Oval, give him a fanfare there but we're going to look to do something different when we get back home to Australia'. If they do lose this Test, the series is still alive, then, perhaps, that conversation begins about maybe taking him out of the firing line and making a replacement,” said the former England batter further.

Sangakkara, meanwhile, pointed out the moment where Warner missed an opportunity to put himself in the driver's seat in this Ashes series.

“I go back to the Edgbaston Test, the first Test of the Ashes where David Warner seemed to have made some adjustments and he was actually handling Broad well. I think, if he had at that stage, recognized that moment, had actually been a little bit more aggressive as his innings progressed against the other bowlers to get runs behind him, and use that opportunity – especially in the second innings, – gone into one-day mode and actually tried to attack and get those boundaries, it would have set himself up and Australia a little bit better. I think he missed an opportunity there,” said the former Sri Lanka captain.