Australia: Love him or hate him, David Warner’s self-belief and single-mindedness has seen him withstand scandals and slumps to remain Australia’s key batsman at the World Cup. One of the most polarising players in cricket since his international debut in 2009, left-handed opener Warner is the centrepiece of Australia’s batting order in the twilight of his legendary career. He will turn 37 during the World Cup in India. While unconvincing in Test cricket in recent years, where his position in the team has been the subject of immense scrutiny, Warner has maintained strong form in the 50-over format. He’s hit the second most ODI centuries by an Australian batsman and scored over 6,300 runs overall at a healthy average of around 45. With long-time opening partner Aaron Finch retired and successor Travis Head under an injury cloud, Warner will be relied upon at the top of the order in his swansong from ODI cricket. Despite his critics lining up, a typically bullish Warner is determined to leave on his own terms having publicly laid out his retirement plans, where he also wants to exit Test cricket with a farewell match on his Sydney home ground in January. “I probably owe it to myself and my family,” Warner said in June when announcing his future intentions. “I’ve played every game like it’s my last. I enjoy being around the guys. I love being part of the team and being that ball of energy in the group. “I’ll keep working as hard as I can to get there.” If all goes to plan, it will be something of an unlikely fairytale ending for Warner, whose career looked over in 2018 after he was named as the chief protagonist of Australia’s humiliating ball-tampering scandal at Newlands in South Africa.