The Grandstand Cricket Podcast: Former Australian Test batter Ed Cowan has moved to defend Mitchell Johnson’s criticism of David Warner saying that Johnson is echoing “what 90 percent of people have been thinking”.
Former left-arm quick, Johnson, fired up debate on Warner ahead of his final Australian Test summer with a column in the West Australian, questioning over why the left-handed opener is getting a hero’s send-off while still now owning up his role in the infamous 2018 ball-tampering scandal.
It’s prompted defences of the Australian veteran from many across the landscape, but has received some support from Cowan, who made his Test debut alongside Warner at the top of the order against India 12 years ago.
“Mitch Johnson is saying what 90 per cent 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.
Warner had earlier said about his wish to end his Test career when Australia faced Pakistan in the third and final game of the series at the SCG in January 2024. He was named in Australia’s 14-player squad for the first Test against Pakistan at the Optus Stadium in Perth, beginning on December 14
Warner has only scored one Test century in 25 matches since the summer of 2020–21; that century came in his 100th Test at the MCG in late 2022 when he amassed a remarkable double-hundred against South Africa.
Putting aside his century against South Africa, he’s made just two half-centuries in his last 21 Test innings.
Cowan delivered a straightforward assessment of Warner’s recent performance in Test cricket as the Australian team prepares for the upcoming first Test on Thursday and described the 37-year-old Warner as a “walking wicket” while pitching Marnus Labuschange to open the batting.
“I still think personally the best person for the job is either Marnus or Travis Head. 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 said.
