Mitchell Johnson Exposes Warner Clash Trigger, Slams Selector’s ‘Disgusting’ Remark

Mitchell Johnson has revealed what triggered his shocking piece against Australian great David Warner, which caused quite a stir in the cricket world two days after he launched an unusually harsh attack on the former teammate and current opener. The West Australian also attacked Australian selector George Bailey for his response to the piece, calling it a “disgusting” and “childish” jab on his Mitchell Johnson Cricket Show podcast with host Bharat Sundaresan.

Johnson did not back down from his harsh criticism of Warner; instead, he disclosed that it all started when the Australian batter sent him a “quite personal” message in April in response to a column he had written following Warner’s wife Candice’s defense of her husband’s selection for the Test team on Fox Sport’s The Back Page program. Johnson would not disclose specifics about the communication from Warner; but, he acknowledged that it, coupled with his batter’s desire for a final Test match in Sydney, prompted him to pen his letter.

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It has been mentioned by some that there appears to be a personal aspect to it, which is true. However, I’ve always made an effort to write my articles such that I can support my claims; after all, they are simply my opinions. This one was challenging to write, but as I was writing it, I felt it would certainly garner some notice,” he remarked.

“I attempted to call (Warner) to discuss it with him, something I’ve consistently discussed candidly with the team,” Johnson continued in reference to Warner’s eight-month-old message. “Back then, it was never a private matter. Up until then. That’s what inspired me to write the article—or at least a portion of it. It undoubtedly plays a role. I won’t name any of the things he mentioned in that message because Dave is the one who should discuss it, but there were some things in there that were really disappointing—and quite awful, to be honest.”

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The 42-year-old also disclosed that he was offended by Bailey’s remarks in reaction to the Warner post, claiming that the Australian selector singled out his experiences with mental health problems. The fast bowler who helped Australia win the World Cup in 2015 claimed that Bailey was too close to the Australian players to make unbiased and difficult decisions.

Bailey said, “I’ve been sent little snippets of it – I hope he’s OK,” in response to Johnson’s accusations on Sunday while announcing the team for the Pakistan Test series.

It’s pretty much downplaying my story and placing it on mental health, which is rather horrible, I believe, to wonder whether I’m okay because I’ve had mental health concerns, Johnson said. “It’s essentially making fun of someone else’s mental state of mind and implying that I must be dealing with something since my comments were prompted by a mental health problem. That’s not accurate. That is the exact opposite. Actually, I have a clear head.