I need to be the mediator and get both David Warner and Mitchell Johnson in a room: Ricky Ponting

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding David Warner ahead of Australia’s three-match Test series against Pakistan. Former cricketer Mitchell Johnson took a dig at the opener recently and stated that the 36-year-old doesn’t deserve a hero send-off after being at the centre of Australia’s one of the biggest scandals. A lot of former cricketers in the form of Brad Haddin and chief selector George Bailey condemned the act while Johnson was removed from the Triple M commentary panel after his comments.

In the meantime, former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting got involved in the discussion. The 48-year-old stated that he believes that it’s time for him to be the mediator and solve the differences between these two cricketers. Ponting added that the recent argument goes back to the Ashes selection when Warner was picked for the series, despite not being in good touch.

“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. 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,” Ponting told Sunrise.

“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,” he added.

Meanwhile, David Warner’s wife Candice Warner has thanked everyone for their support following Johnson’s comments. The southpaw meanwhile is taking a break and will join the national squad when they regroup for the Test series against Pakistan, which is slated to begin on November 14.

Currently, Pakistan is involved in a warm-up game against Prime Minister XI. Newly appointed Pakistan skipper Shan Masood hit a terrific double century as based on his knock, Pakistan posted 391 runs on board in the first innings. The bowlers meanwhile have been average, which is a bit concerning ahead of the Test series.