In a shocking flip of occasions, former Australian cricketer Mitchell Johnson has criticized his ex-teammate David Warner, elevating questions on whether or not the embattled opener deserves a farewell after the notorious ball-tampering scandal.
The ball-tampering drama
The controversy surrounding Warner, together with Steve Smith and Cameron Bancroft, rocked the cricketing world in 2018 through the third Take a look at towards South Africa in Cape City. The trio confronted extreme penalties for his or her involvement within the plot to tamper with the ball, leading to bans from worldwide and home cricket.
Mitchell Johnson criticizes David Warner
Johnson, recognized for his specific tempo and aggressive fashion throughout his worldwide profession, didn’t mince his phrases in a scathing assault on Warner over the latter’s farewell Take a look at sequence versus Pakistan. Warner, in June this yr, had introduced that he’d wish to retire from Take a look at cricket after the match towards Pakistan at his dwelling floor (SCG) in January 2024.
In his column for The West Australian, Johnson talked about that Warner don’t deserve a hero’s send-off.
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“It’s been 5 years and David Warner has nonetheless by no means actually owned the ball-tampering scandal. Now the way in which he’s going out is underpinned by extra of the identical vanity and disrespect to our nation. As we put together for David Warner’s farewell sequence, can any person please inform me why?
“Why a struggling Take a look at opener get to appoint his retirement date. And why a participant on the heart of one of many greatest scandals in Australian cricket historical past warrants a hero’s send-off? What is going to followers carry for Warner? Bunnings would promote out of sandpaper,” wrote Johnson.
“Warner definitely isn’t Australia’s Take a look at captain and by no means deserved to be for that matter. He ends his profession beneath a lifetime management ban. Sure, he has an honest general file and a few say is one in every of our best opening bats. However his previous three years in Take a look at cricket have been strange, with a batting common nearer to what a tailender could be pleased with.
“It’s the ball-tampering shame in South Africa that many will always remember. Though Warner wasn’t alone in Sandpapergate, he was on the time a senior member of the crew and somebody who preferred to make use of his perceived energy as a ‘chief’. Does this actually warrant a swansong, a final hurrah towards Pakistan that was forecast a yr prematurely as if he was greater than the sport and the Australian cricket crew?” added Johnson.
Whereas some cricket fanatics might argue that Warner has served his punishment and deserves an opportunity for a dignified farewell, Johnson’s feedback mirror a special perspective, emphasizing the necessity for accountability and the integrity of the sport.
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Warner, who has been a prolific run-scorer for Australia over time, has been on a mission to rebuild his picture for the reason that ball-tampering incident. Nonetheless, Johnson’s remarks underscore the enduring affect of the scandal on the cricketing world.
Cricket Australia has not formally commented on Johnson’s statements, and it stays to be seen how the cricketing group and the governing physique will reply to this newest growth. The controversy has reignited discussions concerning the delicate stability between forgiveness and accountability on the earth {of professional} sports activities.
