Veteran Australian opener David Warner has finally broken his silence on Mitchell Johnson’s controversial statement ahead of his final Test series against Pakistan.
Warner’s former teammate, Johnson, launched a scathing attack on the southpaw, questioning his place in the Test squad due to inconsistency and opposing a farewell Test series because of his involvement in the 2018 Sandpaper Scandal in South Africa.
Speaking to Fox News, the 37-year-old stated that everyone has the right to express their opinion and he is looking forward to a good end to his Test career in Sydney.
“It would not be a summer of cricket without a headline. 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." Warner said.
"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 added.
Warner’s mature take on Johnson’s sharp criticism
Despite nasty comments by Mitchell Johnson, David Warner had a mature view on the controversial statement by his former Australian pacer.
Warner is of the opinion that when a player reaches on the world stage, there will be a lot of media and criticism around them. He also added that there are a lot of positives to look at while expressing the importance of staying in the present.
The veteran Australian opener 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."
Ricky Ponting offers mediator role to resolve Johnson vs Warner spat
Former Australian opener Ricky Ponting offered the role of mediator to resolve the issue between Mitchell Johnson and David Warner. He urged two Australian stars to have face to face conversation rather than throwing jibes in front of the media.
“I have to get in between these two guys at some stage ... I think I need to be the mediator and get them both in a room and let them have it out rather than playing it out in the media.” Former Australia captain told Sunrise.
“They're both pretty feisty characters and we know this issue that's come up now goes back six or eight months, back to the Ashes selection. That's where it all started.”
“It sounds like an issue that's gone on without either of them sitting down and having a face-to-face conversation. I'd like to see that happen," Ponting added.
