Warner to rejoin Ashes squad, eyes Test recall

LONDON, England, July 29, 2013 (AFP) - David Warner is to rejoin Australia's squad in England on Monday, a team spokesman told AFP, as the controversial batsman eyes a recall for a third Test that the tourists must win to keep their Ashes hopes alive.

Warner was banned in the run-up to the opening match of the series after punching England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar in June following Australia's defeat by their arch-rivals in the Champions Trophy one-day tournament in June.

His subsequent lack of match practice saw the selectors send him out to join the Australia A side on their tour of Zimbabwe and South Africa.

That meant Warner missed

David Warner is to rejoin Australia's squad in England on Monday, a team spokesman told AFP, as the controversial batsman eyes a recall for a third Test that the tourists must win to keep their Ashes hopes alive

the first two Tests of the five-match Ashes series, both of which Australia lost as they went down by 14 runs at Trent Bridge and then suffered a 347-run hammering at Lord's. Last week 26-year-old lefthander Warner, who can open the innings, made 193 against South Africa A in a drawn four-day match in Pretoria.

But the second innings saw umpires twice having to halt play as sledging involving Warner and South Africa A wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile boiled over.

These incidents again raised questions about Warner's temperament but an Australia team spokesman confirmed the New South Wales batsman would be rejoining the squad in Manchester, northwest England, where the third Test starts on Thursday at Old Trafford.