NewsBite

Teammate’s new text message emerges in Mitchell Johnson, David Warner storm

A seven-word text message sent by David Warner has come to light as the drama surrounding Test legend Mitchell Johnson continues to swirl.

Hardie whacks 26 runs off single over!

Former Australian captain Aaron Finch has shared a seven-word text message David Warner sent while the storm surrounding Mitchell Johnson continued to rage.

Warner’s feud with Johnson has dominated headlines this summer after the former Ashes destroyer’s volcanic newspaper column where he suggested Warner hadn’t earned a “hero’s farewell” at the New Year’s Test in Sydney.

Watch Australia v Pakistan on Kayo Sports. Every Test match Live with no ad breaks during play. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

The drama has taken twists in all directions following Warner’s blasting first innings knock of 164 in the First Test in Perth.

It emerged this week Cricket Australia “muzzled” the West Australian star by standing him down from two public speaking engagements at Optus Stadium.

According to News Corp, Cricket Australia had attempted to nullify any potential blowback from the playing group in support of Warner.

The situation has taken another turn with Finch revealing a personal message Warner sent him after his first innings heroics against Pakistan.

Finch noted Johnson’s previous admission that he regrets how personal he got with Warner in his column for The West-Australian.

David Warner and Aaron Finch at the T20 World Cup. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.
David Warner and Aaron Finch at the T20 World Cup. Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.

“When you get a bit personal that’s probably not ideal is it,” Finch said on The Grade Cricketer Podcast.

“He admitted it himself, he said that’s probably one place he wished he didn’t go.

“But Davey (Warner), every time he’s backed into a corner he does well. I (sent a text message) to him the other day and he said, ‘You’d think after 15 years they’d know’, which is so good.”

Warner on several occasions insisted he was not flustered by Johnson’s personal criticism, despite making a “shush” gesture by putting his finger to his lips while celebrating his century against Pakistan.

There have been no indications either party is looking to mend the rift.

The 313-Test wicket great famously broke Warner’s thumb during a training session in the nets at the WACA in 2013 — and Finch has shared exactly how scary it was facing the left-arm quick.

“It was fast,” he said of the experience of facing Johnson in training.

“It was never, ‘Alright, I’m just going to warm into it’, and you get your first 10 minutes in the net with him trying to just work on something. If he was working on something, he’d do it separately.

“When the batters walked into the nets he was ready and it was going to be on, and that was so hard.

“I mean, yuck. It was brutal.”

Johnson, it seems, is just as brutal with a pen in hand.

Johnson earlier this month suggested he was not the one who started the fight and shared details of a text message Warner sent to him.

Mitchell Johnson and David Warner. Photo: Getty and Twitter, Triple M Cricket.
Mitchell Johnson and David Warner. Photo: Getty and Twitter, Triple M Cricket.

He said on The Mitchell Johnson Cricket Show podcast his relationship with Warner was fractured in April, when he first said the batsman should not have been selected for the Ashes Tour this winter.

Johnson described Warner’s wife Candice as “weird and cringey” when she attempted to defend his place in the Australian team during a TV appearance, where she said there was no one “better” to replace her husband.

“I got a message from Dave, which was quite personal and I tried to ring him to talk to him about it,” Johnson said, as reported by Code Sports’ cricket writer Robert Craddock.

“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. Some of the things that he mentioned in that message.

“I won’t say it because that’s up to Dave to say if he wants to talk about it. There was some stuff in there, which was extremely disappointing what he said and pretty bad to be honest. That sort of was a bit of a driver.”

The drama will be waiting for all the parties involved when they roll up to the MCG for the Boxing Day Test.

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/cricket/teammates-new-text-message-emerges-in-mitchell-johnson-david-warner-storm/news-story/95f3d33cdd75c1748d97899da02b29d4