NEW DELHI: David Warner‘s supervisor, James Erskine, responded to former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson‘s criticism relating to Warner’s Test farewell. Johnson had questioned the left-handed batter’s eligibility for a hero’s send-off, contemplating his current struggles in red-ball cricket and his position within the ball-tampering scandal, also called ‘Sandpaper Gate.’
Earlier this 12 months, Warner expressed his intention to retire from Test cricket, aiming to conclude his red-ball profession at his residence floor, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).Johnson, in his column for The West Australian, contended that Warner’s kind and his involvement within the ball-tampering incident didn’t warrant a grand farewell.
“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 does a player at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrant a hero’s send-off?” Johnson wrote.
Erskine hit again at Johnson, stating that his questioning Warner’s choice is not logical and saying, as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald, “Let me tell you, anyone can get a headline. The fact is [Warner’s selection] is just logical. The three [replacement] candidates will be [Matthew] Renshaw, [Cameron] Bancroft – who has played pretty well in the Sheffield Shield – and [Marcus] Harris. Now they’ve all had spells opening the batting for Australia.”
Additionally, Johnson highlighted that the trio of Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matthew Renshaw had collectively registered just one century in 38 Test appearances, with a mixed common hovering within the mid-20s.
Despite this, Erskine supported Warner’s case, emphasising that Warner had contributed considerably. He identified Warner’s current half-century within the Ashes and highlighted that Warner was the main run-scorer for Australia within the ODI World Cup.
“David is in good form. Thank God Mitchell Johnson isn’t a Test selector,” Erskine stated.
Australia’s First Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, and David Warner.
Pakistan squad for Australia Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
(With ANI inputs)
Earlier this 12 months, Warner expressed his intention to retire from Test cricket, aiming to conclude his red-ball profession at his residence floor, the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).Johnson, in his column for The West Australian, contended that Warner’s kind and his involvement within the ball-tampering incident didn’t warrant a grand farewell.
“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 does a player at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrant a hero’s send-off?” Johnson wrote.
Erskine hit again at Johnson, stating that his questioning Warner’s choice is not logical and saying, as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald, “Let me tell you, anyone can get a headline. The fact is [Warner’s selection] is just logical. The three [replacement] candidates will be [Matthew] Renshaw, [Cameron] Bancroft – who has played pretty well in the Sheffield Shield – and [Marcus] Harris. Now they’ve all had spells opening the batting for Australia.”
Additionally, Johnson highlighted that the trio of Marcus Harris, Cameron Bancroft, and Matthew Renshaw had collectively registered just one century in 38 Test appearances, with a mixed common hovering within the mid-20s.
Despite this, Erskine supported Warner’s case, emphasising that Warner had contributed considerably. He identified Warner’s current half-century within the Ashes and highlighted that Warner was the main run-scorer for Australia within the ODI World Cup.
“David is in good form. Thank God Mitchell Johnson isn’t a Test selector,” Erskine stated.
Australia’s First Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitch Marsh, Lance Morris, Steve Smith, Mitch Starc, and David Warner.
Pakistan squad for Australia Tests: Shan Masood (captain), Aamir Jamal, Abdullah Shafique, Abrar Ahmed, Babar Azam, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mir Hamza, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Noman Ali, Saim Ayub, Salman Ali Agha, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Saud Shakeel and Shaheen Shah Afridi.
(With ANI inputs)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com