Australia’s buildup to their T20 World Cup defence suffered a blow on Friday after star opener David Warner pulled out of the third match against England with a stiff neck.

“I’m a bit stiff this morning (Friday). I obviously had a pretty heavy fall the other day. I’ve never had whiplash before. It’s pulled up real stiff,” Warner, who was the player of the tournament in their triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in the UAE last year, told Fox Cricket.

The 35-year-old Warner had a concussion scare — he had landed awkwardly on the point boundary while attempting a Moeen Ali catch — in the second T20I on Wednesday, which the visitors won by eight runs to lead the series 2-0.

Australia escaped a series whitewash with Friday’s match reduced to a 12-overs-a-side contest after rain interruptions. England posted 112/2 and Australia, in reply, batted only 3.5 overs scoring 30/3.

Before Australia open their World Cup campaign against New Zealand on October 22, they will face India in a warm-up game in Brisbane next Tuesday.

Elsewhere, Cricket Australia (CA)’s board requested an amendment to their integrity code be drawn up on Friday in another step towards Warner’s lifetime ban from leadership positions being lifted.

There have been calls this year from players, including Test skipper Pat Cummins, for the leadership ban to be dropped to allow Warner to be considered for the vacancy as Australia’s ODI captain.

He had been banned from leadership positions for life by CA after they adjudged he played the leading role in the 2018 Newlands ball-tampering scandal.

Should the amendment be adopted, CA said, the review of the penalty would be heard by an independent commission.

Written with inputs from PTI & Reuters