Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson says a “pretty bad” text message from David Warner is what sparked a critical column he wrote about the opening batsman wanting a home farewell test.
Warner publicly announced his hopes of finishing his test career in Sydney in early January in what would be the third and final test of the series against Pakistan.
Penning a column for the West Australian, Warner’s former Australian teammate Johnson took issue with the opener getting a farewell tour given his struggles at the crease in recent times, re-opening old wounds such as Warner’s role in the “Sandpapergate” ball-tampering scandal of 2018. Warner received a 12-month ban for his role in the scandal.
“As we prepare for David Warner’s farewell series, can somebody please tell me why?” Johnson wrote. “Why a struggling test opener gets to nominate his own retirement date?”
“And why a player at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrants a hero’s send-off?