Time off for Warner before next T20 match

Coach Darren Lehmann says out-of-form T20 skipper David Warner will be given a break before rejoining Australia's squad in New Zealand.

Australia T20 captain David Warner

David Warner has had a mediocre summer with the bat for Australia. (AAP)

Underperforming Australia T20 stand-in captain David Warner will be given a break to freshen up mentally before the next triangular series match in New Zealand.

Coach Darren Lehmann told reporters Warner would appear at the Allan Border Medal count in Melbourne on Monday night before flying home to Sydney on Tuesday.

The remainder of the T20 squad will head to New Zealand on Tuesday with Warner to join them for Friday's clash against the Kiwis in Auckland.

"It will just give him a couple of days at home really," Lehmann said.

"It's always a challenge with the schedule as it is, but David is really keen to play as captain.

"So we'll give him a couple of days off and get him to New Zealand the day before the game."

Warner is deputising for skipper Steve Smith, who was rested after the one-day international series against England.

Lehmann said the need for consistent messaging from on-field leadership meant one of those two was required to play, but the long campaign has taken a toll on Warner's output at the crease.

After averaging just 14.60 during the five-match ODI series, Warner made scores of six, four and two runs to start the triangular T20 series.

The opener is the only member of the victorious Ashes side to feature in all three formats of the game this Australian summer.

"He'd obviously like some more runs but he's been fantastic in the leadership role with the young guys," Lehmann said.

"He's been training hard ... there's no dramas at the moment.

"He can only do so much work ... he's been working so hard that it's almost like (it would help) to just give him a couple of days away from the game.

"Ricky Ponting has been doing some really good work with him, so we'd expect him to come out of that rut pretty quickly."

Despite Warner's struggles, Australia booked a berth in the series final with a seven-wicket win over England at the MCG on Saturday night.


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Source: AAP


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