Talking about Mitch Johnson is irrelevant right now, says Alastair Cook

Veteran England opener, Alastair Cook, oozed class and confidence when he addressed the media ahead of the first Ashes Test 2017-18. England will lock horns with Australia at the Gabba, Brisbane for the first Test on November 23. When the Poms last visited Australia for the Ashes in 2013, they were drubbed 5-0 by the Aussies. It was Mitch Johnson’s 9 wicket haul at the Gabba that had triggered England’s downfall with 381 run defeat in that game.

Looking back, Alastair Cook feels that the talks about Johnson make very little sense now. He admitted that the likes of Johnson and Ryan Harris performed very well back then. However, talking about them right now is irrelevant, believe Cook.

“Mitch bowled outstandingly in that series, one of the best periods of bowling I’ve ever faced backed up by Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle – [but] they’re no longer playing. So in one sense it’s a bit irrelevant. It happened four years ago and it’s all what happens on Thursday rather than looking back,” quoted Alastair Cook as per the quotes in The National.

Not scared by the new quicks

He further noted that the critics can see the recent records of the Ashes, if they are interested in the numbers game. Speaking about the threats of Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins, Alastair Cook remarked that there is nothing new that they would be doing. The players have faced them in the past and it will be no different now either.

“England have won four of the last five Ashes series, so you can look at what you want. There’s nothing we haven’t seen before in cricket. They’re not suddenly bowling 150 miles an hour. [They’ve] not got magic balls which start way outside the stumps and swing miles and stuff. They’re very good bowlers with good records. As batters, that is the challenge we’ve got in the next seven weeks,” quoted the former England skipper.