"David Warner Shouldn’t Be In The Playing XI.."- Ex-Australia Opener Supports Mitchell Johnson

While Mitchell Johnson has faced severe criticism from several quarters for his recent harsh remarks for David Warner, he has received some much-needed support from former Australia opener Ed Cowan.

Writing in his newspaper column, Mitchell Johnson launched a scathing attack towards the veteran opener, saying that he does not deserve a hero’s farewell because of his involvement in the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal as well as his poor form in Tests in the last couple of years or so.

David Warner’s place in the Test team has been under scrutiny for quite some time now. Since the beginning of 2021, he has scored just one century in Tests when he smashed a double century against South Africa in Melbourne in 2022.

He has reached 50 just twice in his past 16 Test innings, although he requires just 157 more runs to become Australia’s fifth-leading scorer in Tests. His Test form in 2023 has been really poor. In 9 Tests so far, David Warner has scored a modest 365 runs at an average of just over 22.

“Does this really warrant a swansong, a last hurrah against Pakistan that was forecast a year in advance as if he was bigger than the game and the Australian cricket team?” Mitchell Johnson had said about David Warner.

“It’s been five years and Warner has still never really owned the ball-tampering scandal. Now the way he is going out is underpinned by more of the same arrogance and disrespect to our country,” he added.

Ed Cowan criticizes David Warner:

Backing Mitchell Johnson’s criticism of David Warner, Ed Cowan has said that most people agree with the former pacer’s comments about the opener. Cowan also called his former teammate “a walking wicket” and opined that the opener should not be in Australia’s playing eleven.

“Mitch Johnson is saying what 90 percent of people in the pub have been thinking,” Cowan said on The Grandstand Cricket Podcast.

“What I didn’t love – I feel like he would have made a more pertinent argument – was the tone. There was a sense of anger or injustice to it. But the actual points around selection, statistically David Warner probably shouldn’t be in the best XI, I think most people agree with,” he added.

Speaking further, Cowan also spoke about David Warner’s replacement in the Test team. As of now, there is little clarity over who will replace the veteran in the Test team once he retires. Warner has been a regular in Australia’s Tests since making his debut in 2011. So far, he has scored over 8000 runs with the help of 25 centuries.

“I still think personally the best person for the job is either Marnus or Travis Head,” Cowan said.

“That allows you to pick your best six batters with Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh in the team batting at five and six, and it reshapes the team.

“I don’t think Travis Head would be that keen on that, but what it does allow is Steve Smith to bat at three, Travis at four and then your two all-rounders. With Marnus opening the batting, he’s walking out at one for none anyway. David Warner has been a walking wicket for two years now.

“At least he knows when he’s going to bat, he can prepare and go out and bat. It’s not a big leap to go from batting at three to opening the batting,” he added.