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Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has said he was surprised by the strong criticism from Mitchell Johnson towards David Warner regarding the veteran opener's farewell Test plans. Clarke, who captained both Johnson and Warner in the past, mentioned that he never noticed any major issues between the two players and emphasised the importance of avoiding personal attacks.
In a recent column for The Western Australian, Mitchell Johnson expressed his disapproval of David Warner's farewell Test plans, questioning why he was allowed to choose his final match. Johnson, a former teammate of Warner, labelled him as a cricketer involved in a major scandal in 2017 and criticized him for not taking full responsibility for it. Johnson also raised doubts about Warner receiving a hero's send-off' and suggested that fans might bring sandpaper to his farewell Test.
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Clarke, speaking on the Big Sports Breakfast Show, mentioned that while there may have been intense competition between Warner and Johnson during their playing days, he never observed any personal animosity. He urged individuals to express opinions based on what's best for the team rather than making it personal.
"In every sporting team, not everybody gets on. Not everyone is best friends. Dave is a strong character, Mitch is a strong character, (they) went hard at each other in the nets," Clarke told Big Sports Breakfast Show.
"I saw that but I couldn't sit here and say they had beef against one another when we played. Yeah, maybe I've missed something here … Mitch hasn't played for years now so maybe there is beef, I don't know.
"When you're in a role like this … if you have an opinion and it's based on what's best for the team, or your experience, then go with that. But it should never be personal. I try not to make it personal and if it comes across that way you try and apologise for that because you don't want that."
David Warner, who served a one-year ban for his involvement in the 2017 ball-tampering scandal, had expressed his desire to retire from Test cricket after playing the New Year's Test against Pakistan in Sydney. Despite a dip in form in recent years, chief selector George Bailey defended Warner's selection for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan.
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