Mitchell Johnson has given Aussie selectors one final clip after watching David Warner’s Test career end on Saturday.
The former Aussie speed demon’s explosive war of words with Warner became the biggest talking point of the summer with the opening batsman given the hero’s farewell he always wanted on the final day of Australia’s 3-0 series sweep of Pakistan at the SCG Test.
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Johnson also took a swipe at Aussie selectors at the time, saying they were too close to the Aussie dressing room to make the hard decisions necessary.
The 42-year-old put heat on the selection panel — made up of chairman George Bailey, Aussie coach Andrew McDonald, and Tony Dodemaide — for failing to use the Pakistan series as the perfect time to introduce Warner’s replacement.
Deep into the Aussie summer of cricket, selectors still appear to be all at sea when it comes to making the call on who will open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja.
Cameron Bancroft has been at the top of the pecking order as a specialist opener and the top run scorer of the past two Sheffield Shield seasons — but there is much more at play.
There has been a public push for Cameron Green to be squeezed back into the Aussie XI — even as an opener.
The situation took a dramatic turn over the weekend with Steve Smith publicly stating he wants to open the batting.
Johnson has now fired a shot at selectors for letting the drama get out of hand in a column written for The West Australian.
“Selectors have long known about Warner’s nominated retirement date and should have had a plan in place.” he wrote.
Mitchell Johnson. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.
Mitchell Johnson. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.Source: Getty Images
“What have they been saying to State cricketers around selection – play in your position and score runs?
“Cricket is all about being adaptable but it’s also a game where you need to be confident in your role – whether that’s at number three or four or as an opener.
“Cameron Bancroft, Matt Renshaw and Marcus Harris have been asked to go and score runs at first-class level. What more can Bancroft have done to get another opportunity than be the Sheffield Shield’s leading run-scorer last season and again this season?
“Either Bancroft or Renshaw deserve to open the batting with Usman Khawaja in the first Test against the West Indies later this month.
“Bancroft, 31, because he has gone back and done what he was asked to do. Or Renshaw, 27, because he has had some success at Test level in the past and has more time left in the game.”
Johnson in December singled Bailey out in his newspaper column when talking about selectors not being able to make the hard calls.
Bailey responded by raising concerns about Johnson’s wellbeing.
“I’ve been sent little snippets of it,” Bailey said of Johnson’s column.
David Warner walks off The SCG. Picture: Julian Andrews.Source: News Corp Australia
“I hope he’s okay.”
Johnson and some other cricket commentators interpreted Bailey’s comments as a reference to Johnson’s public mental health battles — and the 313 Test wicket-taker took offence.
Johnson has never taken a backwards step when it comes to his comments about the selection calls made by the panel — but has admitted he regrets making his attack on Warner so personal.
“I think my opinion in this column a couple of weeks ago is still valid,” he said after the Perth Test.
“He hadn’t scored runs in about three years apart from the double century last summer.
“Another point made was that a soft summer like this, with Australia expected to comfortably beat Pakistan and the West Indies, was the perfect time to look at blooding some new players into an ageing team.
“They could have given some new guys some really good time out in the middle this summer and backed them in. That’s going to be much harder across the next two summers when India and England visit for five-Test series.”
Australia are pencilled in to host the West Indies in a two-Test series starting on January 17, with a decision on Warner’s successor expected to be announced on Tuesday.
