Warne quashes talk of return to Australian ODI set-up

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

MELBOURNE, May 2 (Reuters) Leg-spinner Shane Warne has reiterated he will not return to Australia's one-day squad ahead of the World Cup in the West Indies next year.

''I must have said it 14,000 times. I have retired and I have no aspirations to return,'' Warne said after leading English county side Hampshire to victory over Essex in a C&G Trophy match nday.

Warne played the last of his 194 one-day internationals for an ICC World XI in a tsunami charity match in January 2005 and said he wanted to focus on his test career.

Captain Ricky Ponting revived talk of a Warne comeback on his return from the tour of Bangladesh earlier this week when he urged the 36-year-old Victorian to make a quick decision over his one-day future.

But Warne, who has taken a world record 685 wickets in 140 test matches, stressed he would not change his mind.

''I have taken 200 wickets in the last two years in test matches and that is no coincidence. I have been playing better than ever.

''I have to be fair to the squad. There is a lot of cricket ahead in the next year with the ICC Trophy, the VB series and the World Cup and they have to prepare.

''If Ricky said to me at some stage 'look we really need you', then I would think about it, but I don't think it would ever come to that.'' Warne played in Australia's 1999 World Cup winning side but received a one-year suspension on the eve of the 2003 tournament in South Africa after testing positive for a banned diuretic.

Reuters PDS DB1029

For Daily Alerts
Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
X