Mitchell Johnson has scoffed at Cricket Australia inviting him to an awards night just a week after the governing body cancelled two of his speaking engagements.
CA axed two of the retired fast bowler’s guest speaking jobs during the first Test in Perth last week due to his highly controversial column about David Warner and chief selector George Bailey.
Johnson, who is commentating on radio with Triple M this summer, had kept quiet after it was revealed he had been stood down from the paid talks.
But the former left-arm firebrand quick let rip on social media after receiving an invite to the 2024 Australian Cricket Awards.
“Is Cricket Australia serious??,” Johnson wrote on Instagram, including a screenshot of his invite and the Rage Against The Machine song ‘Take the Power Back’.
“Last week I was cancelled from 2 speaking engagements. This week I’m invited to celebrate with them.”
Johnson tore into Warner, his former Australia teammate, about the opener’s “hero send-off” and opened up old wounds from Sandpapergate in an explosive column for The West Australian.
The 42-year-old was also critical of Bailey’s position, saying his other former teammate had a conflict of interest in deciding on Warner’s future.
After the heavy criticism, Warner came out in the opening Test against Pakistan and smashed 164 to guarantee his SCG farewell from red-ball cricket.
Johnson later admitted the column was personally motivated after receiving messages from Warner and Bailey earlier in the year.
Mitchell Johnson and David Warner celebrate a wicket in 2014. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
“I tried to ring (Warner) to talk to him about it, which I’ve always been open about with the guys,” he explained on his Mitchell Johnson Cricket Show podcast with broadcaster Bharat Sundaresan.
“It was never a personal thing then. Until that point.
“That is what prompted me to write the article, or part of it, as well. It’s definitely a factor.”
Warner has refused to add fuel to the fire, saying Johnson is entitled to his opinions.
Ruckin' Oaf
Roar Rookie
Yeah he's completely silent without CA.......
London Panther
Roar Rookie
Presumably the journalists who came out and defended Warner with arguments such as ‘don’t get personal Mitch, all men are created equal’ have also been banned by CA for their vile opinions…
Blink
Roar Rookie
Jeff you're talking about the grossly incompetent CA admin led by James Sutherland which thankfully has long past. Maybe you don't understand timelines and what people say. You probably have a similar IQ to MJ. The problem at that time was the conflicted S Smith (in a war with Rabada) unable to captain Warner.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Bailey is not a genuine selector I think he is there as a pawn controlled by others. Johnson as well when is that Darth Vader moment going to happen when Warner reveals to him how much he helped in the past.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Cheers Laurence. I learn a lot from different views on this site. Not used to having an El Guapo in the West but I'll have to live with it. (PS: I don't think I have strong opinions, however it does seem that way on this site!?!)
Laurie
Roar Rookie
Stick around Mr Dwyer. We need a range of strong opinions on these pages. And a bit of push back sometimes.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
Cheers Ace. Have a good one!
Ace
Roar Rookie
Hope you don't go Barb..enjoy your comments
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
It possibly was. I don't recall.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Wonderful dialogue from the new season of Fargo. Him: I'm a libertarian Her: Oh so you want complete freedom and no responsibility? Do you know who has that? Him: The President? Her: No. Babies. You want to be a baby.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
I suspect CA's managed to find the moral high ground one last time in 2023. They chopped him from speaking last week, but are now magnanimous with their invitation (not invites), in acknowledgement that Johnson is one of the great fast bowlers in Australian cricket history. Mitch's response; I'll damn you because you invited me, but I'd probably damn you if you didn't. Sometimes MJ, silence really is golden
sheek
Roar Guru
I admire Usman as a man of great integrity. I admire anyone who I perceive to have integrity. Oftentimes, it seems in short supply, especially higher up the totem pole you climb! "Why is that"? Is perhaps a discussion point for another day. But Usman is a cricketer, no-one ultimately gives a stuff what he thinks. No-one certainly gives a stuff what anyone here on The Roar thinks, contrary to what we ourselves might believe. IMHO, I've given what I thought was good advice over 15 odd years on The Roar. I've read many other smart folk offer their thoughts as well. Ultimately, it's meaningless beyond helping The Roar bump up its sponsorship revenue. Which is really the point of a blog site. Not us, or what the punters think, but revenue streams. The Israelis & Hamas, & for that matter, the larger Muslim world aren't even listening to the few sensible world voices that are speaking out, so they're certainly not going to listen to some small-time cricketer! The older I get the more I realise the really wise folk are those who hold their counsel. Until absolutely necessary. And that usually means when it's almost too late. That's how dumb humanity is. We wait until it's almost too late before we listen to anything sensible. Or in too many cases, after it's too late! I now need to go do some necessary housework & show my worthiness to my wife. She tells people one of the reasons she married me is because I'm smart. But in this household I'm just one dumbass!!
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Mitch, bouncers are more effective when you land them on the pitch.
Shire
Roar Rookie
I was with Johnson (for the most part) so far, but it definitely would have been easier to say nothing at all or simply announce "in the wake of being uninvited from two speaking positions, I will respectfully not be accepting this invite." Now he just looks like a cranky imbecile. Maybe he needs a manager, like David Warner. Not a manager like David Warner's, mind you.
Shire
Roar Rookie
"Takes one to know one."
Redcap
Roar Guru
Ah, but Arthur and Ford later discovered that the answer to the great question wasn't 42 at all, and thus gave rise to (or at least popularised) the c*ck-up theory of history. I'm a subscriber.
Ruckin' Oaf
Roar Rookie
Yeah cause without those speaking engagements ol Mitch is completely without a voice. Oh hang on, nope he still gets his say while CA get to look like heavy handed censors.
Ruckin' Oaf
Roar Rookie
There is no evidence in dispute.
Barb Dwyer
Roar Rookie
3. Not working full-time at present. Will disappear from Roar when work returns!
sheek
Roar Guru
Ruckin' Oaf/Barb Dwyer, A general question, or observation. Am I to presume The Roar is occupied by higher minded folk, or are we just bored? For me, wasting time on The Roar writing gibberish is usually due to one of two reasons: 1. Boredom. 2. Delaying the inevitable housework. Just asking... for a friend!!!