"Mitch Johnson is saying what 90 percent of people have been thinking" - Ed Cowan launches scathing attack on David Warner
David Warner's former opening partner, Ed Cowan, defended Mitchell Johnson's criticism of Warner by stating that almost everyone shares similar sentiments.
Johnson blasted Warner in his column for a Western Australian newspaper. He questioned about Warner getting a grand farewell series against Pakistan, considering his recent Test form and involvement in the 2018 Sandpaper saga.
While several former and current Aussie cricketers defended Warner, Cowan sided with Johnson.
On the Grandstand Cricket Podcast, Cowan said:
"Mitch Johnson is saying what 90 per cent of people in the pub have been thinking. What I didn’t love – I feel like he would have made a more pertinent argument – was the tone. There was a sense of anger or injustice to it. But the actual points around selection, statistically David Warner probably shouldn’t be in the best XI, I think most people agree with."
Warner has expressed his desire to retire from the longer format after the final Test on his home ground in Sydney. While there have been no guarantees on that, the veteran batter has been included in the 14-member squad for the first Test, starting December 14.
Ed Cowan opened with Warner during the early 2010s and played 18 Tests for Australia, scoring over 1,000 runs at an average of 31.28.
"David Warner has been a walking wicket for two years now" - Ed Cowan
Ed Cowan continued his criticism of David Warner by calling him a 'walking wicket' over the last two years and pitched for Marnus Labuschange to open the batting.
Warner is coming off an outstanding 2023 World Cup campaign, scoring 535 runs at an average of over 48 in Australia's title run. However, the 37-year-old has been in dismal form in Test cricket since 2021, averaging less than 30 and scoring a lone century in 25 games.
"I still think personally the best person for the job is either Marnus or Travis Head. With Marnus opening the batting, he’s walking out at one for none anyway. David Warner has been a walking wicket for two years now. At least he knows when he’s going to bat, he can prepare and go out and bat. It’s not a big leap to go from batting at three to opening the batting," said Cowan.
He added:
"That allows you to pick your best six batters with Cameron Green and Mitch Marsh in the team batting at five and six, and it reshapes the team. I don’t think Travis Head would be that keen on that, but what it does allow is Steve Smith to bat at three, Travis at four and then your two all-rounders."
The selectors will begin looking at Cameron Bancroft, Marcus Harris, and Matt Renshaw as long-term opening prospects to replace David Warner following the Pakistan series.
Despite his struggles in Tests lately, the southpaw boasts an incredible record in the red-ball format, scoring over 8,400 runs at an average of almost 45, with 25 centuries.