Cape Town Sandpapergate: Former Australia fast-bowler Mitchell Johnson said he still stands by his views on David Warner despite the opener making 164 in the first innings of the ongoing Perth Test against Pakistan, though he added not being surprised over the veteran player’s performance.
Johnson raised eyebrows when he said Warner didn’t deserve a farewell Test series due to his poor form in last three years and of being previously banned for 12 months due to being involved in the 2018 Cape Town Sandpapergate scandal.
On reaching his century at Perth, Warner made a ‘shush’ gesture towards the Perth Stadium media centre, where Johnson was seated for his radio commentary duties. After the day’s play, Warner had said to reporters that his celebration was for the critics.
“I think my opinion in this column a couple of weeks ago is still valid. He hadn’t scored runs in about three years apart from the double century last summer. David Warner’s century on the first day of the Australian Test summer was no great surprise in some ways.”
“There was a big media spotlight on Warner and his form and he seems to be at his most motivated when backed into a corner and he generally saves his best for home soil. On day one of the first Test against Pakistan Warner rode his luck early on — and it could have gone either way — and you take that and he went on to make 164.”
“He did what he was paid to do in the first innings before Saturday’s duck in the second innings. Warner may have denied he cares about criticism of his form, but it definitely does drive him as shown in his performance in the first innings,” wrote Johnson in his column for The West Australian.
He also felt Warner is a bit like Kevin Pietersen when it comes to performing after being pushed in a corner. “That sort of atmosphere is something Warner revels in and he is a bit like Kevin Pietersen was in that regard. Pietersen loved it when someone had a go at him on or off the field, he enjoyed the challenge and got up and about and I think it’s the same with Dave.”
Johnson further remarked Australia missed a golden opportunity to bring in new players in the Test side in this home summer. “Another point made was that a soft summer like this, with Australia expected to comfortably beat Pakistan and the West Indies, was the perfect time to look at blooding some new players into an ageing team.”
“They could have given some new guys some really good time out in the middle this summer and backed them in. That’s going to be much harder across the next two summers when India and England visit for five-Test series.”
“It seems they’ve got their own plans in place for selection and how they see things. But they are going to be confronted by a changing of the guard at some point soon,” he concluded.
