"An Aggressive Attack On David Warner’s Personality" - Brad Haddin Lashes Out At Mitchell Johnson

Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin criticized his ex-teammate Mitchell Johnson for his ‘aggressive attack’ on David Warner. Haddin stated that past players should offer constructive criticism rather than launching aggressive attacks on a player’s personality.

Earlier, Mitchell Johnson criticized David Warner’s planned farewell from Tests, leading to a rift in Australian cricket. Johnson highlighted Warner’s involvement in the Sandpapergate scandal, arguing that he shouldn’t have the right to decide when to retire from Test cricket.

It Was A Bit Off And Left Field – Brad Haddin

Speaking on the Willow Talk podcast, Brad Haddin said that Mitchell Johnson’s approach seemed unconventional and unnecessary, focusing too much on aggressively criticizing David Warner’s personality.

“Mitch’s summary of it was a bit odd and left field. I don’t mind past players saying, ‘OK, this is why I wouldn’t have him in the team, this is what I’d look at’. It looked like a bit of an aggressive attack on Davey’s personality, which I don’t think you need,” Brad Haddin told the Willow Talk podcast.

Warner has expressed his desire to finish his red-ball career after the third Test against Pakistan. Johnson played alongside Warner for over five years, contributing to significant victories, including the 2013-14 Ashes whitewash and the 2015 ODI World Cup triumph.

It Left A Bit Of A Bad Taste – Brad Haddin

Brad Haddin noted that Mitchell Johnson’s criticism of David Warner and George Bailey crossed lines and left a negative impression on many. The former wicketkeeper emphasized that such aggressive personal criticism is not acceptable to him.

“Yes, you can have an opinion on what you think the team should be, but I don’t like when past players go really hard in a personal angle to the players and it felt a little bit like that to me. Everyone’s entitled to their opinions on selections. He attacked David and George on levels you don’t want to see anywhere, to be honest. It left a bit of a bad taste in a few people’s mouths, I think,” Haddin added.

Australia squad for first test against Pakistan: Pat Cummins (c), David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood, Scott Boland, Cameron Green, Lance Morris.

Also read: I Never Saw Any Beef Between David Warner, Mitchell Johnson – Brad Haddin