Former Australian batter and current chief selector George Bailey has criticised former pacer Mitchell Johnson's objections to opener David Warner playing his farewell Test match against Pakistan.
Johnson raised the issue of the Sandpaper Gate scandal, questioning why Warner, involved in some of the most significant scandals in recent Australian cricket history, deserves a farewell Test. The upcoming three-match Test series against Pakistan will mark Warner's last.
Expressing his desire to conclude his Test career at his home ground in Sydney, Warner has become a focal point of discussion. The series against Pakistan will kick off with the first Test in Perth on December 14, followed by the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and the New Year's Test in Sydney.
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Bailey replied to Johnson's comments about Warner by saying that the famous bowler doesn't really understand what the players are experiencing and seems a bit distant.
"I've been sent little snippets of it. I hope he's OK. I've got no idea [if he is]. My only observation would be if someone can show me how being distant and unaware of what players are going through and what the plans are with the team and with the coaching staff, how that's more beneficial, I'd be all ears," said Bailey when asked about Johnson's comments on Warner.
Johnson didn't limit his criticism to Warner; he also took a swipe at Bailey, accusing him of being too familiar with certain players.
"When then-captain Tim Paine's career was ending over the sexting controversy, chairman of selectors George Bailey said he didn't want to be part of deciding Paine's fate because the pair were close friends. The handling of Warner in recent years, who played with Bailey in all three forms, raises the question of whether Bailey was simply too quickly out of playing and into the job and too close to some of the players," said Johnson.
Australia's explosive opener has played in 109 Test matches for Australia, accumulating 8487 runs with an average of 44.33. In the longest format of the game, he has registered 25 centuries and 36 half-centuries.
(Powered by AI, Inputs by India Today)
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