Journalism of Courage
Australia Twenty20 captain George Bailey has backed Mitchell Johnson to return to Test duty when Ashes hostilities are resumed 8216;Down Under8217; in November.
Left-arm fast bowler Johnson did not feature in the Australia side that suffered a 3-0 Ashes series defeat in England but has been selected in the squad for the forthcoming limited-overs series,starting with the first Twenty20 international at Southampton on Thursday.
Johnson became a figure of fun among England fans in recent Ashes because of his often wayward deliveries but Bailey insisted the 31-year-old8217;s raw pace,which has helped him take 205 Test wickets,meant he could yet return to the five-day format.
8220;Absolutely. I8217;ve no doubt they the selectors would have Mitch in their sights for a couple of those Ashes games particularly given the grounds and his record at some of those grounds,8221; Bailey said.
8220;I don8217;t think he8217;d ever be too far from the selectors8217; minds.
8220;I don8217;t think he8217;s got anything to prove and his form has been really great.
8220;I thought he bowled really well in his last couple of one-day games for us. He8217;s not too much fun to face in the nets so hopefully he brings that aggression.
8220;There8217;s no doubt someone like him who can bowl as quick as he can and swing the ball at the top of the order can break a game open,8221; Bailey added.
8220;That8217;s what we are after with our Twenty20 cricket 8212; we want matchwinners.8221;
Johnson8217;s status as the man the England fans love to pick on has been usurped by batsman David Warner in recent months following his Birmingham bar-room attack on England8217;s Joe Root in June.
8220;I don8217;t know who will get more attention from the crowd,it will be a toss-up,8221; said a smiling Bailey.
8220;Talking to Mitch he8217;s grown with it. He8217;s come to enjoy it.
8220;It8217;s part and parcel of cricket. I thought Davey handled it well and played up to the crowd nicely.
8220;That8217;s one of the great things about playing in England 8212; the interaction with the crowd. From all reports it8217;s going to be a bumper crowd.8221;
Australia have not won a competitive international fixture in any format since completing a one-day series whitewash of the West Indies in Melbourne on February 10 8212; a run that will have lasted exactly 200 days when they meet England at Southampton.
8220;They say winning is a habit and I tend to agree with that,8221; said Bailey.
8220;It8217;s pretty blatant what we want to do. We plan to win. It8217;s the same regardless of what has happened in the past.
