'Why does a player at the centre of Australian cricket's biggest scandal warrant a hero’s send-off?' - Mitchell Johnson's scathing attack on David Warner

Former Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson launched a scatching attack on veteran batter David Warner. Johnson questioned as to why is Warner getting a hero’s farewell from Test cricket after his involvement in the 2018 ball-tampering scandal. It is worth noting that Warner is included in Australia’s squad for their home Test series against Pakistan, which is set to be Warner’s last.

The former pacer went on to say that his form in red-ball cricket in recent months did not earn him a nomination to announce his own retirement date. Furthermore, with his involvement in the Sandpaper Gate, he does not deserve a hero’s send-off as per Joshnson.

“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 his column for The West Australian.

“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 does a player at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrant a hero’s send-off?” he added.

Warner certainly isn’t Australia’s Test captain and never deserved to be: Mitchell Johnson 

Johnson also stated that Warner never deserved to be the skipper of Australia’s Test side and also branded his last three years for Australia as nothing but ordinary. 

“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. Yes, he has a decent overall record, and some say he is one of our greatest opening bats. But his past three years in Test cricket have been ordinary, with a batting average closer to what a tail-ender would be happy with,” Johnson wrote.