Warner's wife's cryptic post sparks retirement speculation after Pat Cummins addresses opener's place for 4th Ashes Test

David Warner has managed to score a half century just once in the six innings he has played thus far in the 2023 Ashes.

Australia may have missed out on a chance to seal their first Ashes series win in England since 2001 in the thrilling third Test at Headingley but all-rounder Mitchell Marsh has given them a fresh selection headache going into the fourth match at Old Trafford. Playing a Test match for the first time in over three years, Marsh scored a run-a-ball 118 in the first innings that turned out to be crucial to Australia taking a first innings lead.

Warner had earlier admitted that he doesn't see himself playing Test cricket after this year

Marsh also took a wicket in the first and second innings and his performance has led to speculation over whether veteran opener David Warner could lose his spot in the team for the fourth Test. Marsh had been included in the team as a replacement for the injured Cameron Green and the latter is expected to be fit for the fourth Test. Marsh's extraordinary performance, however, has led to speculation over whether Australia would opt to play both all-rounders at Old Trafford, choosing to drop Warner and possibly play Travis Head in the opening slot.

Warner's wife Candice's recent post on Instagram has only added fuel to that speculation. "The end of an era for us touring with test cricket, it’s been fun. Forever your biggest supporters and your girl gang. Love you @davidwarner31," she said in an Instagram post with a photo of the family at Headingley after the third Test.

This comes after captain Pat Cummins remained tight-lipped about whether Warner will retain his spot at Old Trafford. “We’ll keep all our options open. We’ve got nine or 10 days now, so we’ll take a deep breath,” Pat Cummins told reporters after the Headingley Test. “We’ll go away for a few days but everyone comes back into it. Greeny should be fit for Manchester, we should have a full roster. So we’ll have a look at the wicket, have a chat and work out the best XI.”

Warner's past comments on retirement

Head had excelled as an opener for Australia during their tour of India, replacing Warner in the position after he was injured halfway through the series. Warner, who has struggled to replicate the kind of form and consistency that led to him being recognised as arguably the best opener in the world across formats prior to 2018, had admitted earlier that he doesn't see himself playing Test cricket when West Indies tour the country in January 2024.

“You’ve got to score runs. I’ve always said the (T20) World Cup would probably be my final game. I probably owe it to myself and my family if I can score runs here [to] continue to play back in Australia. I can definitely say I won’t be playing that West Indies series. If I can get through this and make the Pakistan series I will definitely finish up then," Warner told The Guardian earlier in June.