Warner’s retirement announcement last weekend came with up to nine Tests still to play in his career, six in England over the next two months and three at home.
The 36-year-old is entering the England tour with plenty of pressure on his spot, after just one triple-figure score in the past three years of Test cricket.
Selectors have refused to guarantee Warner his position long-term, with the left-hander needing runs early on in England to fend off questions over his place in the side.
Australia have not always offered up the preferred farewell for experienced players, with Ian Healy famously dropped before his home Test at the Gabba in 1999.
Cummins said he had no issue with Warner’s early announcement, and backed the left-hander to extend his career towards the dream Sydney farewell against Pakistan in January.
“Davey is the first one to know he has to score runs,” Cummins said ahead of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against India at The Oval, which begins on Wednesday.
“We’d love a fairytale finish for Davey in Sydney, but he’s got to be scoring runs. But I’m sure, and history suggests, he’ll be scoring some runs.
“He’s played over 100 Test matches. So you never have to worry about Davey getting up for anything.”
Despite seven of Australia’s XI for the WTC final being aged 30 or over, Cummins said there was no need for players to plan to stage their exit out of the team.
Australia have previously struggled following mass exoduses of players, most notably after retirements of the ‘golden generation’ in the 2000s.
“Ideally, while everyone’s scoring runs and taking wickets they’re playing as long as they can,” Cummins said.
“It’s something certainly the selectors talk about, probably more than us players, to try and make those transitions as easy as possible.
“Whenever we play a Test match and if it keeps young people out of the Test side hopefully they’re learning their craft in Shield cricket or county cricket.
“These things naturally evolve.
“But when you do get an injury or someone’s missing a Test match, that’s when the conversations come up (about) who can slot in and develop for the future.”