Mitchell Johnson took aim at former Australia team-mates David Warner and George Bailey, now the chief selector, after the former was included in the squad for the first Test against Pakistan ahead of hoped-for farewell on his home ground in Sydney in the New Year series finale
Tuesday 5 December 2023 09:49, UK
Mitchell Johnson has revealed that a text message from David Warner prompted a scathing opinion piece about his former Australian team-mate.
In his column in The West Australian, the former fast-bowler hit out Warner's inclusion in the Test squad and questioned if the opener deserves a "hero's send-off" against Pakistan in January.
Johnson cited Warner's recent Test form and role in the 2018 'Sandpaper-gate' ball-tampering scandal, from which Warner was banned from the elite game for one year and from leadership positions for life.
On Tuesday, Johnson explained why he wrote the piece, stating that it was instigated by a text Warner sent him.
"I have always tried, when writing the articles, to back things up," Johnson said on his podcast. "The way it has come about it is, I have heard that Dave wanted to retire from cricket at the SCG. To me that didn't sit well. It is my personal opinion.
"It was never a personal thing then, until that point [Warner's text]. That is what drove me to write the article or part of it... It's definitely a factor. Some of the things that he mentioned in that message.
"I won't say it because that's up to Dave to say if he wants to talk about it. There was some stuff in there which was extremely disappointing, what he said, and pretty bad to be honest."
Over the last two years, Warner has averaged fewer than 30 runs per innings in Test cricket, with only one century, but his contribution to Australia's recent 50-over World Cup triumph in India, where he was their leading scorer with 535 runs, looks to have secured his place in the squad for at least the opening Test against Pakistan.
But in his original column, Johnson had pondered why the 37-year-old Warner was deserving of possibly going out on his terms with a farewell retirement Test on his home ground in Sydney.
"As we prepare for David Warner's farewell series, can somebody please tell me why?" Johnson wrote.
"Why a struggling Test opener gets to nominate his own retirement date. And why a player at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrants a hero's send-off?"
Johnson added: "It's been five years and David Warner has still never really owned the ball-tampering scandal.
"He has a decent overall record and some say is one of our greatest opening bats. But his past three years in Test cricket have been ordinary, with a batting average closer to what a tailender would be happy with.
"Now the way he is going out is underpinned by more of the same arrogance and disrespect to our country."
Johnson was also critical of Australia's chief selector George Bailey, another former team-mate, in the article.
He wrote: "The handling of Warner in recent years, who played with Bailey in all three forms, raises the question of whether Bailey was simply too quickly out of playing and into the job and too close to some of the players."
After announcing his squad for the opening Pakistan Test, Bailey refused to be drawn in detail on Johnson's comments but stressed Warner's ability meant he warranted his place in the squad.
"Ultimately we still think he's in our best 11 players to win the first Test," said Bailey.
While Warner's call-up was always expected, debutant bowler Lance Morris' inclusion for the opening Pakistan Test was a relative surprise. Off-spinner Nathan Lyon, meanwhile, has returned to the squad in place of Todd Murphy after the calf injury that curtailed his participation in Australian's retention of The Ashes.
Australia squad for first Test against Pakistan: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins (c), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Cameron Green, Lance Morris
