Warner to join Australia A squad in Africa to 'get match practice'

Australian batsman David Warner has been dispatched from England to join the Australia A squad in Africa to get match practice, after he was dropped from the squad for the first Ashes Test.

Warner's swing at England's Joe Root during the ICC Champions Trophy in a Birmingham bar became a symbol for Australia's off-the-field problems in the build-up to the Ashes series and he was suspended and fined 7,000 pounds, the Guardian reports.

According to Cricket Australia (CA), the former opener would be joining the A team in Zimbabwe and South Africa to regain match sharpness, with national selector John Inverarity saying that although Warner's preparation for the first Test was not ideal, they are thinking about returning him to England later in the Ashes.

Inverarity further said that Warner is in need of match practice and runs in the longer format, adding that the Australia A games in Zimbabwe and South Africa will provide him with the best possible opportunity to return to the Ashes, provided he satisfies the CA that he has had adequate preparation in match conditions.

Meanwhile, Inverarity further said that Steve Smith, picked to bat at No.6 at Trent Bridge in the position that many thought would be Warner's, would stay with the Ashes squad for the duration of the tour.

Aaron Finch will assume the captaincy of the A team in his stead, the report added.