Mitchell Johnson slammed Cricket Australia for giving David Warner a farewell. David Warner announced his retirement from test cricket after the Pakistan series, and Johnson created an issue with his farewell recently. The Mitchell Johnson vs. David Warner debate has been the top news in the last few hours. Mitchell Johnson and David Warner won many matches for Australia together. But what has created a rift between Mitchell Johnson and David Warner in this ugly spat?
Ball Tampering Incident
Mitchell Johnson highlighted the darkest incident of the Australian Cricket team. Cameras caught Cameron Bancroft doing ball tampering in a test match between South Africa and Australia in March 2018. Three Australian test players, Captain Steve Smith, VC David Warner, and Cameron Bancroft were banned from professional Cricket for 12 months. Mitchell said that no one deserves a heroic retirement after committing this. His harsh remarks started the debate of Mitchell Johnson vs David Warner.
Mitchell Johnson won two ODI World Cups for Australia in 2007 and 2015. He won two Champions trophies for Australia in 2006 and 2009. Mitchell Johnson has got 590 international wickets for Australia. He and Warner played together for six years for the Australia team, including the ODI World Cup 2015 winning squad. Johnson could not bear the lack of respect from someone to the gentleman’s sports. So, he began the Mitchell Johnson vs David Warner debate.
Does David Warner Deserve a Farewell?
David Warner scored 19,000+ runs for Australia in international Cricket. David Warner won two ODI World Cups for Australia in 2015 and 2023, one T20 World Cup in 2021, and one WTC in 2023. Australia and Pakistan will play their last series match at Sydney Cricket Ground. He wants to end his test cricket career in front of his home crowd at Sydney Cricket Ground. He wants to make his retirement memorable.
The career of David Warner is nothing short of spectacular, one thing every cricket fan will acknowledge. So, he deserved a respectful sendoff. But Johnson also had a great point. ICC must make some rules for the specific players who bring shame to this sport. The Mitchell Johnson vs David Warner debate may focus on the abovementioned topic.
Australian Cricket History
Australia has always remained the top team in cricket history. Mitchell Johnson said that David Warner does not deserve the sendoff in his home ground, Sydney Cricket Ground, after what he did in March 2018. Cricket is Australia’s national game. Australian men’s and women’s teams have won over 20 international trophies, the most by any international cricket team worldwide.
The Australian men’s team has won the ICC ODI World Cup six times. Before the 2023 World Cup, Australia was known as the Brazil of Cricket. Now, Australia has won the sixth ODI World Cup. So, Cricket Australia must set a big example for the upcoming players.
Respect for Cricket in Australian People
Australian people also greatly respect Australian international cricket team captains and players. The March 2018 incident was a very shameful event in the history of Australian Cricket. Steve Smith and David Warner lost the Australian team’s captaincy and vice-captaincy, respectively, after this incident. Steve Smith got emotional in his press conference after the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. Apart from the Mitchell Johnson vs David Warner debate, a few fans thought that everyone must forget players after he publicly apologized and finished his punishment.
Micheal Clark’s Statement on The Issue
Michael Clark also says, “Maybe there is Beef! Between these two players.” He was also the 2015 World Cup-winning team captain; both players played under him. Michael Clark thinks that Mitchell Johnson vs. David Warner must end because both players have aggression in their blood. He also added that criticism needs to be professional, not personal.
Warner’s Recent Form
The recent form of David Warner also highlighted this Mitchell Johnson vs David Warner debate. David Warner scored two fifties in 10 innings of the Ashes Series, which forced him to announce his retirement from test cricket. Mitchell Johnson criticizes the 37-year-old Aussie’s recent form in test cricket. His form is not good compared to other Australian openers. So, Johnson thinks he does not deserve a place in the playing 11 in the presence of Travis Head and Usman Khawaja. If a player does not deserve a place in the team, how can the cricket board decide to bid him farewell?
Conclusion for Mitchell Johnson vs David Warner
David Warner achieved so much in test cricket for his team that he deserved a farewell. However, Mitchell Johnson’s claims are also valid. Cricket Australia can settle this Mitchell Johnson vs David Warner debate by talking to both players. The board must bid Warner farewell, but it should have done so quietly without hurting any former players.
