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David Warner\u2019s manager James Erskine claims Mitchell Johnson has missed the \u201clogic\u201d of why the veteran opener remains in the Test team.<\/p>\n
Responding to a scathing column from the retired fast bowler, Erskine also labelled Johnson \u201cnaive\u201d for his suggestion Warner had not \u201cowned the ball-tampering scandal\u201d in Cape Town five years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet me tell you, anyone can get a headline. The fact is [Warner\u2019s selection] is just logical,\u201d Erskine told this masthead. \u201cThe three [replacement] candidates will be [Matthew] Renshaw, [Cameron] Bancroft \u2013 who has played pretty well in the Sheffield Shield \u2013 and [Marcus] Harris. Now they\u2019ve all had spells opening the batting for Australia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Erksine pointed out the trio had managed just one century between them in 38 Tests and their collective average was in the mid-20s.<\/p>\n
Pointing to the fact that Warner scored a half century during his last Test innings on the Ashes tour and, more recently, was Australia\u2019s leading run-scorer in the World Cup, Erskine said: \u201cDavid is in good form. Thank God Mitchell Johnson isn\u2019t a Test selector.\u201d<\/p>\n
Warner has averaged below 30 in five of his last six Test series, but his record is much better in Australia than overseas.<\/p>\n
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David Warner celebrates one of his two centuries during the recent World Cup.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>AP<\/cite><\/p>\n \u201cDoes 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?\u201d Johnson wrote in the West Australian.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Warner declined to comment when contacted by this masthead.<\/p>\n Speaking on Monday, his Test opening partner Usman Khawaja said he \u201cstrongly disagreed\u201d with Johnson\u2019s column, adding Warner and former skipper Steve Smith, who was also banned for a year, had paid for their mistakes.<\/p>\n \u201cDavey Warner and Steve Smith are heroes in my mind,\u201d Khawaja said in quotes reported by AAP.<\/p>\n \u201cThey missed a year of cricket through dark times in Australian cricket but they have paid their dues.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one is perfect. Mitchell Johnson isn\u2019t perfect. I am not perfect. Steve Smith is not perfect. David Warner isn\u2019t perfect.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat they have done for the game and to grow the game far outweighs anything else they have done.<\/p>\n \u201cSo for (Johnson) to imply that Dave Warner or anyone else involved in Sandpaper-(gate) is not a hero I strongly disagree with because I believe they have paid their dues.\u201d<\/p>\n Former Australian Test captain Tim Paine.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Former captain Tim Paine believes there is lingering animosity between Warner and Johnson, who were teammates before Johnson retired in 2015.<\/p>\n \u201cMitch raises some great points. Statistically, David hasn\u2019t been playing well and would other people be getting the run he\u2019s getting now? Probably not,\u201d Paine said on SEN radio. But in my opinion, he\u2019s got credits in the bank because he is one of the all-time greats.<\/p>\n \u201cI think you can read between the lines that he and Davey don\u2019t get along \u2026 I think they\u2019re just different people, just from what I\u2019m reading.\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson traded barbs with Warner\u2019s wife Candice in April, when Warner was selected for the mid-year Ashes tour.<\/p>\n \u201cWarner even had his wife Candice defending him in her panel role on the TV show [The Back Page<\/em>] this week,\u201d Johnson wrote at the time. \u201cHer loyalty might be admirable, but it was all a bit weird and cringey.\u201d<\/p>\n In response, Candice told News Corp, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t surprise me because he doesn\u2019t have a lot to do with media any more and I feel like the only way he gets a headline is by using David\u2019s name. Everyone takes his comments with a grain of salt. They don\u2019t have a lot of merit.\u201d<\/p>\n In a column last year, Johnson labelled captain Pat Cummins \u201cgutless\u201d over his role in the departure of coach Justin Langer, who was replaced by assistant coach Andrew McDonald.<\/p>\n A former Australian teammate of Johnson, Moises Henriques said Johnson\u2019s criticism was misplaced.<\/p>\n \u201cIn terms of Patty Cummins, I think he\u2019s answered that as well as he possibly could, winning the World Test Championship, the World Cup and retaining the Ashes away from home.\u201d<\/p>\n Henriques said Johnson should try to reconnect with the team.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he should get into the group and really do his best to get to know the players again, because I kind of feel like maybe he\u2019s lost a bit of touch there,\u201d Henriques said.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n