Australian opener David Warner finds himself in the middle of a controversy after Mitchell Johnson unleashed a scathing criticism questioning his place in the Test side ahead of the Australia Vs Pakistan Test series.
Warner’s wife Candice supported her husband and gave a brief response addressing the noise surrounding the controversy. Candice revealed that she and David are doing well, reducing the noise surrounding Mitchell Johnson’s criticism.
Speaking at a promotional event, Candice kept her response brief but clear. “We are fine, David is home. He’s been away for three months, so having him home now and being together as a family before Christmas is always special,” Candice said.
Candice acknowledged the support David Warner received after Johnson’s criticism created a maelstrom in the Australian cricket community. “It’s really wonderful for David to have that support, but he’s a good human being and at the end of the day that’s all that matters,” Candice said.
Mitchell Johnson pulled no punches when publicly raising questions about the merits of Warner receiving a hero’s farewell, particularly at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground, which is David Warner’s home stadium. Mitchell Johnson’s criticism stemmed from lingering discontent over Warner’s involvement in the infamous ball-tampering scandal involving Warner, Steven Smith, and Cameron Bancroft. It is often referred to as ‘Sandpapergate’, which shook Australian cricket in 2018.
David Warner never took responsibility for his actions
According to Mitchell Johnson, David Warner never took full responsibility for his actions, even after serving a 12-month suspension after the scandal came to light. While speaking on his podcast, Johnson also criticized coach Bailey for criticizing his column. He also claimed that she had received a text message from Warner following another article Johnson wrote questioning Warner’s form and Candice’s public defense of her husband’s testing site earlier in the year.
“I got a message from Dave which was quite personal, I tried to call him to try and talk to him about it, something I’ve always been open to and I know I was open to the guys when I finished playing. So I said if I’m in the media and I write or say things you don’t like, just come talk to me,” Johnson said.
David Warner personally texted Mitchell Johnson
Mitchell Johnson decided not to retract his scathing attack and instead made a shocking revelation that “a personal text” from Warner influenced his tone in the column.
“It was never something personal until this moment. This is probably what prompted me to also write the article, part of it. It was a factor. Some of the things that were said there, I won’t say. I think it’s up to Dave to say it if he wants to talk about it. There were some things in there that were extremely disappointing, what he said, and pretty bad to be honest,” Johnson said.
Johnson expressed fury over Bailey’s response to his article, calling it disgusting, and interpreted it as his mental health. “Asking if I’m okay because I’ve had mental health issues is largely taking away from my article and focusing it on mental health, which I think is pretty disgusting,” he added.
David Warner will play his final Test match against Pakistan at the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground. He decided that he would play his last Test at the SCG in 2022. The three-match Test series between Australia and Pakistan will be the last time the world will see David Warner playing red-ball cricket for Australia. He has given Australian fans many memories to cherish and has also been involved in many controversies.