Former cricketer Mitchell Johnson disclosed that a text from David Warner, which was ‘pretty bad’ and ‘disappointing,’ became the catalyst for their clash.
Mitchell Johnson recently criticized David Warner’s potential Test cricket send-off, questioning its justification given Warner’s prior involvement in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal and his current form. Johnson, in his column in The Sunday Mail, launched a scathing attack on Warner for not fully taking responsibility for the ball-tampering scandal and questioned why a struggling Test opener like him could choose his retirement date and receive a hero’s farewell.
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During his podcast, The Mitchell Johnson Cricket Show, Johnson explained that his critique stemmed from a ‘pretty bad’ and ‘disappointing’ text message he received from Warner earlier this year. This message responded to Johnson’s column querying the public defense of Warner’s Test squad position by Candice Warner, Warner’s wife. Johnson attempted to contact Warner to discuss the issue, stating his openness to dialogue regarding any media remarks he makes.
“I got a message from Dave, which was quite personal. I tried to ring to try and talk to him about it, which I’ve always been open to. I know I’ve been open to the guys when I finished playing. I said if I’m in the media and writing things or saying things that you don’t like, just come and speak to me. It was never a personal thing then until this point. This is probably what drove me to write the article as well, part of it. It was definitely a factor. Some of the stuff that was said in that, I won’t say it. I think that’s up to Dave to say it if he wants to talk about it. There was some stuff in there that was extremely disappointing, what he said, and pretty bad to be honest,” Johnson said.
The former cricketer also acknowledged taking full accountability for the column, admitting that while he took responsibility for the piece, some parts, like the reference to sandpaper in relation to Warner, were unnecessary. He clarified that apart from that, the article was reviewed and approved by him after taking time to consider its content and relevance.
Last Updated on December 5, 2023
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