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It is surely time for the Australian selectors to erase the name Mitchell Johnson from their minds.
I shook my head in disbelief when Mitchell Johnson was selected in the Australian squad to face England in the upcoming ODI series.
When he was omitted from the Ashes Test squad, it appeared that the selectors had finally moved on from Johnson, a decision that was long overdue. Sadly, it is not the case.
To give credit where credit is due, Johnson on his day is a match winner. When things are going right, he has the ability to bring the ball back into right-handers at very hostile pace.
His “sling” action makes the ball skid off the surface and is often difficult for batsmen to pick up. He showcased his talent in his spell of 6 for 38 against England at the WACA in the 2010/11 Ashes series, a spell which largely contributed to Australia winning that Test match.
However, such performances from Johnson have been few and far between. His international performances, both at Test and in limited overs cricket, have been littered with inconsistency.
When things aren’t happening for Johnson on a particular day, they can go pear shaped very quickly. He tends to bowl both sides of the wicket, making field placements a captain’s nightmare and runs often flow from opposing batsmen quicker than a leaking tap.
The erratic performances have far outweighed the match winning performances. Despite this, Johnson still remarkably appears to be at the forefront of the selectors’ mind when it comes to picking the national side.
In regard to one day cricket, team selection surely needs to be made with the 2015 World Cup firmly in mind. If this is the case, I find it inconceivable to think that Johnson will be in the top echelon of fast bowlers in Australia at that time. What is the point of continuing to pick a player who, despite an overwhelming number of chances, has failed to consistently perform at the international level.
The 2015 World Cup should be the coming of age of talented youthful bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazelwood, Pat Cummings, James Pattinson and Nathan Coulter-Nile, to mention a few.
It is imperative that these players are playing the bulk of one day matches over the next 18 months leading to the World Cup. The more cricket we get under their belts, the greater are our chances of reclaiming the title of “world’s best” in our own backyard.
This upcoming one day series amounts to nothing more than a revenue raising exercise for the ECB and Cricket Australia. In 18 months’ time, no one will remember, nor care, who won the series.
This is the perfect setting to blood the fast bowlers who will be leading our attack in the next World Cup. Surely, Johnson will not be one of them.
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