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Despite the series conflicting with the ILT20
tournament, where David Warner is committed to captain Dubai Capitals,
Australia’s head of selectors George Bailey expects the player to be eligible
to play in three Twenty20 internationals against West Indies in February.
Warner will participate in the T20 World Cup in the
Caribbean and the US in June, despite having retired from the Test and ODI
circuits for Australia.
Warner intends to participate in the ILT20, which
kicks off on January 20, just after the BBL’s home and away portion has ended
and his team, Sydney Thunder, is expected to skip the finals to avoid
scheduling conflicts. The three Twenty20 Internationals against the West Indies
begin on February 9 and end on February 13, but the competition ends on
February 18.
Warner, who is still under contract with Cricket
Australia, was expected to skip those games in order to participate in the full
ILT20 and then return for the next series against New Zealand, which begins on
February 21 in New Zealand.
Bailey, however, stated that Warner is expected to
play if he is chosen for the West Indies series.
“He’ll be part of those T20 matches at the back
end of the summer and in New Zealand as well,” he said.
“I think that’s the same with all our Australian
contracted players. If they’re going to be selected in a squad then they’re
available,” Bailey said. “If they’re not then it depends on what sort
of domestic cricket responsibilities they have. So I think [Warner] had flagged
that as potentially one of the reasons why he has made the decision to retire
from one-day cricket but we’re still really excited about what he can provide
for that T20 team and hoping he can add one more major trophy to his
cabinet.”