MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Australian opening batsman David Warner said he regretted rushing his return from a strain of a hamstring during the Test series against India in January, admitting that he had probably halted his recovery.
Warner was ruled out of the first two tests against India after suffering the injury in a one-day match but came back on the sidelines for the final two.
He managed only 67 runs while still being hampered by injury and Australia lost the series 2-1.
“He gave me back a little,” Warner told reporters on Wednesday.
“In hindsight, I probably wouldn’t have done that.”
Warner returns to action on Thursday with New South Wales in a one-day domestic match against South Australia in Adelaide, its first competitive match since India.
The 34-year-old, an Australian test match, one-day sides and T20, has spoken of dropping one of the shorter formats to extend his test career but on Wednesday reiterated his desire to play in the 50-over 2023 World Cup in India .
“We have a good chance to play that and win in India,” said Warner, who would play his third World Cup.
“The core team there, with the age group as well, will probably be the last for a few of us.”
Australia’s crowded schedule later this year, with Ashes coming after the T20 World Cup in India, will be a player management challenge for coaches and fitness staff.
Warner did not face the prospect of going from white-ball cricket straight to Ashes but said it would be “quite difficult” to prepare for a five-test series after two weeks of compulsory quarantine upon returning to Australia.
“It’s very different. That’s probably why you see a lot of soft tissue injuries around the world, not just in our sport, ”he said.