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With his final Test match as an Australian opener against Pakistan in December 2023, former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson came under fire from David Warner‘s manager for his disparaging statements.
Mitchell Johnson did not hold back when he questioned Warner’s goodbye remarks and brought up his part in the notorious Sandpaper Gate scandal.
Johnson also questioned Warner’s suitability for the test squad. He feels that Warner doesn’t deserve a berth in the test team considering his dismal performance in the last three years.
“As we prepare for David Warner’s farewell series, can somebody please tell me why? Why does a struggling Test opener get to nominate his own retirement date? And why is a player at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrants a hero’s send-off,” Johnson wrote in his column for West Australian.
“Although Warner wasn’t alone in Sandpaper Gate, he was at the time a senior member of the team and someone who liked to use his perceived power as a ‘leader.
“Now the way he is going out is underpinned by more of the same arrogance and disrespect to our country. What will fans bring for Warner? Bunnings would sell out of sandpaper,” Johnson added.
Mitchell Johnson was smacked by Warner’s manager, James Eriksine, with all of his firearms blazing. He asserted that it was a publicity stunt.
Johnson is not a selector who should just walk in and dictate what he thinks, according to James Eriksine, who also said that Warner’s choice was only reasonable.
I’ll tell you what, anybody can make headlines. The truth is that [Warner’s choice] makes sense. Matthew Renshaw, Cameron Bancroft, who has performed admirably in the Sheffield Shield, and Marcus Harris will be the three [replacement] contenders.
They have all now had stints as Australia’s opening batsmen. David is performing well. Eriksine told the Sydney Morning Herald, “Thank God Mitchell Johnson isn’t a Test selector.”
With the red ball, David Warner’s year hasn’t gone well. Warner has participated in nine test matches in 2023, but his average score of 22.81 has only allowed him to score 365 runs.
Only two hundreds have been recorded by David Warner in test cricket since 2020, indicating Warner’s deterioration in the red-ball competition. Even though David Warner has lost his edge in the longest format of the game, he still merits a last match for his contributions.
