David Warner Breaks Silence To Turn Down Mitchell Johnson's Views, Says Everyone's Entitled To Their Own Opinions'

Australia's star opener has finally broken his silence over the ongoing fallout with the former teammate Mitchell Johnson ahead of the Test series against Pakistan.

The veteran opener has been getting support from the former players regarding the controversy and is now defended by skipper Pat Cummins who said he disagreed with Johnson’s assessment but defended his right to voice an opinion.

“It would not be a summer of cricket without a headline,” Warner was quoted by Fox Sports.

“It is what it is. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. But moving forward, we are looking to a nice Test over in the west.”

 

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Johnson has come up with an all-out against Warner over the past few days as he questioned his selection for the Test team despite his horrible form with the bat.

However, Warner was calm enough on the issue and said that he is well prepared to cope with difficult moments and is not bothered by what Mitchell Johnson’s comments.

“I resonate with where I grew up. For me, it was a great upbringing with my parents, but it taught me everyday… to work hard. My parents ingrained that into me,” he said.

“When you get on to the world stage, you don’t realise what goes with that there is a lot of media. A lot of criticism.

“But there are also a lot of positives. And I think what is more important is what you see today, people coming out here to support cricket, Australian cricket, and cricket in general. It is fantastic.”

The former pacer Johnson also recalled the sandpaper gate scandal, adding that Warner had not accepted full responsibility for his role in the incident that harmed the image of Australian cricket heavily.

Warner earlier had hinted at the Test series against Pakistan as his last one before announcing retirement from the latest version of the game but Johnson wanted to know "why a player at the center of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrants a hero's send-off".

“It’s been five years and David Warner has still never really owned the ball-tampering scandal. Now the way he is going out is underpinned by more of the same arrogance and disrespect to our country,” Johnson wrote in Sydney Morning Herald. “As we prepare for David Warner’s farewell series, can somebody please tell me why?," said Johnson.

“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? … his past three years in Test cricket have been ordinary, with a batting average closer to what a tail-ender would be happy with … 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?," he added.

Australian skipper Pat Cummins has come out in support of Warner as he himself was called “gutless” by Mitchell Johnson last year.

“I think we protect each other a lot. We have been through a lot over the years. Our boys, I’ve played alongside someone like Davey or Steve (Smith) for a dozen years now. (We are) fiercely protective of each other,” he said.

 

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“It is hard to say (what Mitch’s motivation is). You have to ask Mitch. But there are so many things we should be celebrating about Australian cricket at the moment,” he added.

Warner will next be in action against Pakistan in the three-match Test series which commences from the first Test starting on December 14 in Perth.