‘Thank God Mitchell Johnson Isn’t Selector’: David Warner’s Manager James Erskine Fires Back At Ex-AUS Pacer

New Delhi: David Warner’s manager James Erskine fired back at former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson over his lash-out at the opener. David Warner is set to play his farewell Test match against Pakistan, However, the pacer wasn’t impressed with the fact that Warner was allowed to nominate his farewell match despite being involved in the sandpaper scandal.

“As we prepare for David Warner’s farewell series, can somebody please tell me why? Why a struggling Test opener gets to nominate his own retirement date. And why a player at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrants a hero’s send-off?” wrote Johnson in his column for ‘The West Australian’

“Although Warner wasn’t alone in Sandpapergate, he was at the time a senior member of the team and someone who liked to use his perceived power as a “leader”. It’s been five years and David Warner has still never really owned the ball-tampering scandal. What will fans bring for Warner? Bunnings would sell out of sandpaper.”

“Now the way he is going out is underpinned by more of the same arrogance and disrespect to our country. Warner certainly isn’t Australia’s Test captain and never deserved to be for that matter. In fact, he ends his career under a lifetime leadership ban.”

“It’s the ball-tampering disgrace in South Africa that many will never forget. Does 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,” Johnson added in column.

Erskine responded to this and said it is a good thing that Johnson is not the Australian Test selector. “Let me tell you, anyone can get a headline. The fact is [Warner’s selection] is just logical. The three [replacement] candidates will be [Matthew] Renshaw, [Cameron] Bancroft – who has played pretty well in the Sheffield Shield – and [Marcus] Harris. Now they’ve all had spells opening the batting for Australia,” Erskine was quoted by Sydney Morning Herald.

“David is in good form. Thank God Mitchell Johnson isn’t a Test selector,” he added. Usman Khawaja has also backed Warner in the matter.