Australian cricketer Usman Khawaja has voiced his support for David Warner in response to a harsh critique from former fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, who questioned the justification behind Warner receiving a farewell Test. Khawaja strongly disagreed with Johnson's perspective on the impact of the ball-tampering scandal on Warner's legacy.
In a column for The West Australian, Johnson expressed his dissatisfaction with Warner's recent performance and criticised the decision to provide him with a ceremonial exit from Test cricket.
Even after five years since the infamous ball-tampering scandal, Johnson asserted that he believes Warner has not completely accepted responsibility for his actions. This misconduct resulted in a one-year ban from international cricket and a lifetime ban from leadership roles within the team.
Despite his recent struggles in the longest format of the game, Warner has expressed his wish to play his final Test in Sydney, concluding the upcoming series against Pakistan. He has been included in the squad for the first Test, set to begin on December 14 in Perth.
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Johnson's criticism extends beyond Warner's previous transgressions, examining his current on-field performance. He highlights that Warner's Test averages in the last three years have been uninspiring, resembling those of a lower-order batter rather than a top-order player of Warner's calibre. Despite Warner's substantial contributions to Australia's 50-over World Cup triumph in India, where he was the leading run-scorer, Johnson remains sceptical that these accomplishments warrant Warner's ongoing inclusion in the Test squad.
"David Warner and Steve Smith are heroes in my mind. They missed a year of cricket through dark times in Australian cricket but they have paid their dues," Usman said as quoted by ESPN.
"No one is perfect. Mitchell Johnson isn't perfect. I am not perfect. Steve Smith is not perfect. David Warner isn't perfect. What they have done for the game and to grow the game far outweighs anything else they have done.
"So for him to imply that David Warner or anyone else involved in [the] Sandpaper [incident] is not a hero, I strongly disagree with because I believe they have paid their dues," he added.
The ex-pacer also directed his critique at George Bailey, Australia's chief selector and another former teammate of Warner. Johnson implied that Bailey's proximity to current players might influence his decision-making in challenging selection scenarios.
Khawaja came to Bailey's defence, saying that Johnson's criticism of the chief selector was "harsh."
Australia will kick off their three-Test series in Perth on December 14. Meanwhile, Pakistan, currently training in Canberra, are scheduled to play a practice match against Prime Minister's XI on December 6.
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