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Johnson unfairly maligned ?

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
No but xuhbbers, Johnson is consistent, consistently ****. Every now and again he will produce a good spell, but that's after 15 tests of bowling junk and giving the opposition a leg up. It's not that he's unpenetrative, it's that he actually kills his team by bowling trash.

You can't, just can't, tolerate that in the hope he'll one day get it together when there are many many better options.
Agreed

Despite protestations of the Channel 9 cheer squad today, unless we continue to be slaughtered by injuries, I wouldnt give hime the chance to prove us wrong as:

a. Starc and Pattinson both have the potential to be much better bowlers and pretty effective bats so his batting quality is irrelevant; and, most importantly

b. 39 times bitten so it's about time the selectors got a bit shy of picking him again

As a fill in, I have no problem but if it is at the expense of a fit Cummins, Pattinson, Siddle or Starc (not to mention Harris) then forget it
 
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Xuhaib

International Coach
I don't know why I am doing this since Mitch is far from my fav cricketer but I just feel my right to defend him

Johnson career has been a tale of 3 periods. First period is his first year in international cricket where he played 30% of his test cricket.

Part 1

In this period he averages 23 with the bat and 34 with the ball. Not earth shattering figures but decent enough for a guy in his first year especially someone who is raw-ish and people see a lot of upside potential in him.

Part 2

This period starts right from his 2nd year and for a period of 21 tests which is rought 40% of his test career he averages 25 with both bat and ball. So yes for a 4/10 of his career he has been world class with the ball with borderline all round abilities.

The problem really lies in the last 30% of his career Where he has averaged 15 with the bat and 43 with the ball.
 

wellAlbidarned

International Coach
I don't know why I am doing this since Mitch is far from my fav cricketer but I just feel my right to defend him

Johnson career has been a tale of 3 period. First period is his first year in international cricket where he played 30% of his test cricket.

Part 1

In this period he averages 23 with the bat and 34 with the ball. Not earth shattering figures but decent enough for a guy in his first year especially someone who is raw-ish and people see a lot of upside potential in him.

Part 2

This period starts right from his 2nd year and for a period of 21 tests which is rought 40% of his test career he averages 25 with both bat and ball. So yes for a 4/10 of his career he has been world class with the ball with borderline all round abilities.

The problem really lies in the last 30% of his career Where he has averaged 15 with the bat and 43 with the ball.
might be the problem
 
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Xuhaib

International Coach
so as I said his axing was totally justified based on his final 3rd figures but imo he gets far too much flak for a guy who has been genuine world class in almost half of his career.
 

Briony

International Debutant
He lacks so much consistency. Away from Perth he can't be trusted. No matter what he does against the Lankans you wouldn't bet on him in England.

Looked good with the bat today (saw him live) but their attack is as bad as one that's come to our shores in years.
 

flibbertyjibber

Request Your Custom Title Now!
so as I said his axing was totally justified based on his final 3rd figures but imo he gets far too much flak for a guy who has been genuine world class in almost half of his career.
Yeah but even when he was good he had the tendency to bowl erratic spells that were either crap or great. The trouble is the great spells happen far less now so the crap is what you see most and his crap makes Devon Malcolm look accurate.
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I don't know why I am doing this since Mitch is far from my fav cricketer but I just feel my right to defend him

Johnson career has been a tale of 3 periods. First period is his first year in international cricket where he played 30% of his test cricket.

Part 1

In this period he averages 23 with the bat and 34 with the ball. Not earth shattering figures but decent enough for a guy in his first year especially someone who is raw-ish and people see a lot of upside potential in him.

Part 2

This period starts right from his 2nd year and for a period of 21 tests which is rought 40% of his test career he averages 25 with both bat and ball. So yes for a 4/10 of his career he has been world class with the ball with borderline all round abilities.

The problem really lies in the last 30% of his career Where he has averaged 15 with the bat and 43 with the ball.
There is no doubt that Johnson was world class for a period (he wouldnt have won the ICC Cricketer of the Year if he wasnt) BUT he has been rubbish too often and given our resources, he shouldnt be a regular when the others are fit (a pipedream I know)
 

Xuhaib

International Coach
Yeah but even when he was good he had the tendency to bowl erratic spells that were either crap or great. The trouble is the great spells happen far less now so the crap is what you see most and his crap makes Devon Malcolm look accurate.
yeah his Ashes CV is very poor and this is where I think he gets most of his hatred though tbf he had a significant role in Australia's only 2 Ashes test victories over the last 2 series.
 

Ruckus

International Captain
I think Johnson is only really good enough when he is getting the ball to swing (he can be decent enough without swing, when he gets riled up, bowls good bouncers, fast yorkers etc. but 9 times out of 10 he doesn't have the consistency for that to work). The problem is though, he just doesn't get the ball to swing enough, because, by his own admission, he doesn't know how he does it. And if you look at his seam position, it's garbage most of the time, so it's no wonder it's few and far between. That fact that you have a 30 something, experienced bowler, who still doesn't even understand the basic elements of his game is reason enough alone not to give him more extended chances.
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
yeah his Ashes CV is very poor and this is where I think he gets most of his hatred though tbf he had a significant role in Australia's only 2 Ashes test victories over the last 2 series.
I dont "hate" him and actually think that he is underrated because he does have massive talent and a reasonably impressive career record

However, as one of the 9 commentators said today, he probably rates himself less than most and therein lies the problem
 

sledger

Spanish_Vicente
Would be licking my lips as an opposition batsman if I saw him named in the Aussie XI tbh. Would be time to fill my boots tstl.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
I must admit at the outset I haven't seen a ball of the 2nd test so far, so he might be playing like Garry Sobers just now for all I know.

However, based on what I've seen of his career up to the current test, the trouble I see is that his whole MO seems to be set up for inconsistency. Sometimes he can literally hoop the ball around corners with conventional swing (these occasions seem to coincide with his WACA appearances as often as not) but looking at his seam position I've no idea how he does it and I'm pretty sure he couldn't tell us either.

As social said earlier, he is a mental lightweight and this seems to be in both the normally understood meanings of the phrase; statements like the Barmy Army hurting his feelings betray a softcockery that would have Merv Hughes turning in his grave (where he not, etc, etc) & his public statements don't suggest an overly deep thinker either.

He is what he is: an inconsistent cricketing savant. One either accepts that or one moves on.
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Johnson better than Anderson, Zaheer and Morkel?

:laugh:
I really like Morkel as a bowler but I dont think that there is any doubt that Johnson is better than him

Morkel plays in the most seam friendly conditions in the world yet has no better record

Plus, he is almost as inconsistent with the ball as Johnson

Add in the latter's fielding/batting and the 2 cannot be compared
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Nah, look, Morkel is the ideal foil for Steyn and Big Vern; it's not as easy as saying "Johnson's the better player", whether one agrees or not.

If Johnson was good enough to bat #7 and be the fourth seamer, he'd be of value; he isn't, so he's not. Plus any side with Twatto has a better than serviceable 4th seamer anyway.
 

morgieb

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Johnson better than Anderson, Zaheer and Morkel?

:laugh:
Right now at least he's better than Zaheer and I think the OP was talking about Johnson as a cricketer rather than a bowler.

(or at least I hope....)
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Nah, look, Morkel is the ideal foil for Steyn and Big Vern; it's not as easy as saying "Johnson's the better player", whether one agrees or not.

If Johnson was good enough to bat #7 and be the fourth seamer, he'd be of value; he isn't, so he's not. Plus any side with Twatto has a better than serviceable 4th seamer anyway.
SA has just toured Oz and they arent a great attack by any means (funnily enough, Morkel was probably the best but that isnt saying much when they should've been 2 down after the first 2 tests having gone for 500+ in both matches)

Johnson would do exactly the same job for them but with better batting and fielding
 

benchmark00

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SA has just toured Oz and they arent a great attack by any means (funnily enough, Morkel was probably the best but that isnt saying much when they should've been 2 down after the first 2 tests having gone for 500+ in both matches)

Johnson would do exactly the same job for them but with better batting and fielding
Kidding yourself, surely.

Johnson is one eighth the bowler Morkel is on a regular basis.
 

social

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Kidding yourself, surely.

Johnson is one eighth the bowler Morkel is on a regular basis.
I think that it is obvious that I'm not MJ's biggest supporter but do yourself a favour and download some of Morkel's "highlights".

He bowls a huge amount of dross on a regular basis
 

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