Paceman to
retire from all international cricket at the end of the WACA Test
Jhonson was thinking about his retirement from the last few
months and the decision was made now and he will retire after the on going test
in Perth.Johnson has confirmed that he will retire from all cricket immediately
the second Test against New Zealand comes to a close at the WACA, and will not
see out the current series against the Black Caps or the remainder of the
Australia summer. He leaves the game as Australia’s fourth-highest Test wicket
taker with a current tally of 311 in his 73rd Tests.
Johnson then took that charging form into a three-Test
series against South Africa and adding to catching a extraordinary 59 wickets
at an average of 15.23 over that period, he frightened batsmen with his speed
and aggression and was awarded the Allan Border Medal in 2014 as Australia’s
most brilliant cricketer. He was also named the International Cricket Council’s
Test Player of the Year after those exploits, to add to the ICC Player of the
Year honour he received in 2009.
Only Dennis Lillee (355), Glenn McGrath (563) and Shane
Warne (708) have taken more Test wickets than Johnson who is the only player
among that quartet to also have irregular a Test century with the bat. But
Johnson also experienced some deep lows, most notably his loss of form during
the 2010 Ashes series in England that saw him humiliated by English crowds and
had him question his hunger for the game, and a serious foot injury in 2011
that forced him out of the game for a year. He used that time to recover his
fitness and reignite his passion and resumed in the second phase of his career
as one of the most dominant, exciting players in the world.
The 34-year-old passed in the lead-up to the current Test
that he considered retirement “most days” and those thoughts certainly became
more insistent as he laboured through a unproductive first innings on a WACA
pitch that was once his highest helper. It appears that any fears Johnson might
have felt about extending his career through to summer’s end in pursuit of the
Test wicket benchmark of 355 set by his close friend and mentor Lillee were
removed when he recorded forgettable figures of 1-157 in NZ’s first innings. He
has also chose to finish his international career, which involved 153 one-day
internationals and 30 T20 appearances for his country, at the WACA which became
his adopted home ground after shifting from his native Queensland in 2007.
This means he will not take part in the historic day-night
Test match against the Black Caps in Adelaide on November 27, having already
indicated his misgivings about the pink ball to be used in that match and the
shift away from the traditions of Test cricket that he valued highly. "I
feel now is the best time to say goodbye,” Johnson said in a statement released
shortly before play resumed at the WACA where Australia holds a lead of 193
with a declaration expected later in the day. "I have been lucky enough to
have had a wonderful career and enjoyed every moment of playing for my country.
It’s been an unbelievable ride
Recently appointed Cricket Australia Chairman David Peever
paid tribute to Johnson, who debuted for Australia a decade ago in an ODI in
New Zealand and played his first Test at the Gabba two years later.
"Dennis Lillee was surely right many years ago when he recognized a young
Mitchell Johnson as a future great of Australian cricket,” Peever said, citing
Lillee’s thought when he first saw Johnson bowl as a teenager in Queensland.
"In many ways the sight of Mitchell as a moustache tearaway conjured
memories of Lillee at his peak, not just in appearance, but for some of the
most devastating fast bowling ever produced by an Australian.
"There have been countless highlights, but no one will
ever forget his incredible performance in the 2013-14 Ashes when he took that
series by storm, only to repeat those efforts soon after in the history-making
win over South Africa in South Africa. "I am sure there are many batsmen
around the world breathing a sigh of relief right now, knowing that they no
longer have to face him. "He leaves the game as one of our all-time great
bowlers and as an excellent example to young Australians about what they can
achieve through hard work and devotion to their chosen dexterity. "We
thank Mitchell for his exceptional service to the game and wish him, wife
Jessica and daughter Rubika the very best for life beyond cricket.” Johnson’s
announcement is likely to overshadow the final day of play at the WACA which is
also the ground where his ex-teammate and former Australia skipper Ricky
Ponting bowed out of the game in 2012.
Matthews added: “Mitch Johnson has been an outstanding diplomat
for WA and Australian cricket and will be a huge loss for the game both on and
off the field. “A favourite with boys and girls across the state, Mitch has
been one of those players who has been an inspiration to young players at
clinics and school visits and been a large part of the growth of the game with
Australia having the highest participation rates of any sport.”
MITCHELL JOHNSON'S MAGNIFICENT NUMBERS
311 wickets
from 73 Tests at an average of 28.10
239 wickets
from 153 ODIs at an average of 25.26
38 wickets
from 30 T20Is at an average of 20.97
12-127 - his
career-best Test match figures recorded in Australia's win over South Africa in
Centurion in 2014
8-61 - his
career-best Test innings figures recorded in Australia's loss to South Africa
in Perth in 2008
6-31 - his
career-best ODI figures recorded in Australia's win over Sri Lanka in Kandy in
2011
2 - Sir
Garfield Sobers trophies, awarded to the ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2009 and
2014
2 - World
Cup titles. He didn't play a game in Australia's undefeated 2007 campaign but
was part of the squad
37 -
Johnson's stunning haul in the 2013-14 Ashes. It was five short of breaking the
record for most scalps in an Ashes series, a feat of 41 that Rodney Hogg
achieved in six Tests.
156.8 -
kilometres per hour, the fastest speed his bowling was clocked at. It came in
the 2013 Boxing Day Test against England.
