Australia’s firebrand opener, David Warner has announced retirement from Test Cricket and Mitchell Johnson takes aim at Warner as retirement looms.
The former Australia fast-bowler Mitchell Johnson says David Warner ‘has still never really owned the ball-tampering scandal’ which emerged in 2018 and led to a 12-month ban from cricket. Selected in the 14-player squad for the first Pakistan Test, his final bow beckons
Johnson and Warner played together across formats for six years and were both part of the squads that won the Ashes in 2013/14 and the home ODI World Cup in 2015.
In June, Warner outlined his retirement plans which will see him step away from Australian cricket after the Pakistan Test series, mid-way through the home summer.
On Sunday (December 3) he was named in the 14-strong squad for the first Test in Perth. But Johnson has questioned why the left-hander, who has averaged 28.90 since the start of 2021 with one hundred, six fifties and three ducks in 44 innings, has been afforded such special treatment.
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Usman Khawaja has defended David Warner against Mitchell Johnson’s criticism, asserting that Warner, along with Steve Smith, is a hero who has paid his dues for the Sandpaper-gate scandal.
Khawaja strongly disagreed with Johnson’s view that David Warner did not deserve a hero’s farewell in the recent Test series against Pakistan. He emphasized that everyone makes mistakes, and Warner and Smith have contributed significantly to the game, outweighing their past errors.
Khawaja also disagreed with Johnson’s comments about selectors, praising George Bailey’s positive impact on Australian cricket.
Additionally, Khawaja expressed his support for coach Andrew McDonald but dismissed the idea of Marnus Labuschagne replacing Warner as an opener in the Test team.
Khawaja emphasized the importance of selecting a regular opener for the role.
