The “fire in the belly” is back but Australian spearhead Mitchell Johnson has confirmed he almost walked away from the game after the doomed 2015 Ashes.
Ex-Test opener Chris Rogers had raised eyebrows by revealing fears Johnson would “call it quits” and join him in retirement after this year’s series loss in England.
It was hard to fathom after Johnson appeared at his fiery best in this week’s first Test against New Zealand on a bouncy Gabba deck.
His 3-105 helped bowl the Black Caps out for 317 after lunch on day three, trailing Australia’s first innings by 239.
It moved him to 309 Test scalps, just one shy of fourth-ranked Brett Lee on Australia’s all-time list and in sight of the great Dennis Lillee (355).
Yet the 34-year-old admitted he did some soul searching after the retirements of the likes of Rogers, captain Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin.
“It definitely crossed my mind,” Johnson told ABC Grandstand on Saturday.
“The six week period I had at home was quite difficult to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play or not.
“Thinking what Bucky (Rogers) and Michael were going to be thinking … I started to feel that a little bit as well.
“Playing a lot of cricket with a lot of those guys that had retired, it definitely made me question myself.”
However, the 72-Test veteran said he felt duty-bound to assist new skipper Steve Smith.
And after terrorising state teams on the domestic scene for Western Australia, the Johnson of old was back.
“I played the Matador Cup games and the Shield game and started to get a bit of fire in the belly,” he said.
“(And) Smithy being a young captain, I feel like I can help out in a lot of ways.
“I’m really ready for this summer now … I feel like I am committed and raring to go.”
Test allrounder Mitchell Marsh had warned New Zealand of what was to come, gushing over Johnson’s 150 km/h Sheffield Shield thunderbolts that recently tormented Tasmania.
“By far the quickest bowling I’ve seen on the field and I’ve played with Johnno over the last 18 months,” Marsh said before the first Test.
But Rogers revealed his concerns for Johnson on Friday, saying he feared the Ashes experience had proved too much for the veteran speedster.
“I had a feeling Johnson was going to call it quits after the Ashes,” he told ABC Grandstand.
“He just has to take so much from the crowd, and it is the same over and over and over again – it just wears you down.”
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Don, my olden days are covered with the greatest rose petals ( cricketers of all time)......Johnson, Hazlwood, Starc , Southee, Boult and Bracewell are not included, yet. I am glad you don't play for Australia, you are so fragile and easy to wind up, bit like our Mitchell.
Don Freo
Guest
What a lot of rubbish, Mike. Your olden days are covered in rose petals. "There's 2 teams out there and only one of them is playing cricket."
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
Having only seen and heard Mitchell Johnson on TV and radio I admit he is a likeable and genuine bloke . Chris Rogers is correct in saying that he has had to take a lot from the crowd however, if you are going to model your appearance between the Village People and Sons of Anarchy what do you expect ? The Barmy Army tunes are absolutely hilarious and Mitchell has not got a thick enough skin ! There have been loads and loads of test cricketers ridiculed and abused worse than Mitchell Johnson. I think of Snow and Botham in Oz, Hadlee and Howarth in Oz , V. Richards in Oz , Thommo and Warnie in England and the list goes on........ I think Douglas Jardine and Harold Larwood during the body line series, would of been the most abused, as the Aussie public wanted blood ! My point is, Mitchell has done well in his career to take over 300 wickets . Imagine how many he would of taken with Lillee's or Thommo's mental toughness ? Modern cricketers are just not built like the old ones .