'A Walking Wicket for Two Years': David Warner's Former Australia Teammate Agrees With Mitchell Johnson

Mitchell Johnson’s explosive column criticising David Warner continues to draw reactions from the Australian cricket fraternities. There have been a few sharp reactions while Warner’s current Australia teammates have launched a staunch defense of the opening batter.

Johnson questioned why Warner, who has been struggling with form in red-ball cricket, has been given the option to decide when he get to play his final Test for Australia.

Johnson also slammed Warner for never really owning his role in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal.

Now, a former teammate of Warner who opened alongside him in Test cricket has backed Johnson’s criticism even though he didn’t like the tone of the column.

“Mitch Johnson is saying what 90 per cent of people in the pub have been thinking,” Ed Cowan, who played 18 Tests between 2011 and 2013, 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.

With Warner set to retire, Australia are now zeroing in on his replacement at the top of their batting order with  few name in contention. For Cowan though Marnus Labuschange and Travis Head are the two best options.

“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,” he added.

Cowan called Warner, who has crossed 50 just twice in his last 16 innings, a ‘walking wicket’.

“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.