Johnson unfairly maligned ?

[wellAlbidarned]

No ones denying that, on the surface, Johnson has quite a good record. However, xub and social aren't taking in how flattering this record really is - it doesn't show the massive negative influence on the bowling attack as a whole when Mitch isn't having his day and sprays it at 6 rpo. Guys like Morkel are still capable of not getting completely blasted when it's not happening for them.

 

[GIMH]

Have you got scaly mixed up with social or am I blind?

 

[greg]

No ones denying that, on the surface, Johnson has quite a good record. However, xub and scaly aren't taking in how flattering this record really is - it doesn't show the massive negative influence on the bowling attack as a whole when Mitch isn't having his day and sprays it at 6 rpo. Guys like Morkel are still capable of not getting completely blasted when it's not happening for them.

Quite. And how often do you hear somebody saying "Johnson's figures don't reflect how well he bowled"?

On the few occasions he bowls well he gets some wickets, sometimes he gets some (expensive) wickets bowling rubbish, and most of the time he's just expensive.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Have you got scaly mixed up with social or am I blind?

forgivable mix-up?

 

[GotSpin]

Barmy Army taunts hurt me: Johnson | Australia Cricket, Live Cricket, Cricket Scores | Fox Sports

Never forget.

Stick a fork in me, I'm done

 

[morgieb]

How many times has Johnson legitimately cost Australia matches? Yes there are plenty of times where he's been poor, but a lot of the losses in our time has been due to the batting IMO. Even with Lords it was pulled back to a chasable total...

 

[morgieb]

With that said, Morkel's definitely the better bowler. I feel like social's being a strawman here.

 

[Ruckus]

How many times has Johnson legitimately cost Australia matches? Yes there are plenty of times where he's been poor, but a lot of the losses in our time has been due to the batting IMO. Even with Lords it was pulled back to a chasable total...

I would say a damn lot frankly. The amount of games where he bowled dross, especially in the latter stage of his career was damn high. And as has already been said, you can't overestimate the effect it has on the rest of the bowling attack and the team in general. You just can't keep expecting the other bowlers to try and maintain pressure when your alleged 'strike/lead' bowler is spraying it left and right.

 

[GIMH]

How many times has Johnson legitimately cost Australia matches? Yes there are plenty of times where he's been poor, but a lot of the losses in our time has been due to the batting IMO. Even with Lords it was pulled back to a chasable total...

Lords 09? You were chasing 500+ IIRC?

 

[quincywagstaff]

I was listening to both the ABC and Ch 9 commentary yesterday and it was amazing listening to the fawning comments directed towards Mitch. It's like they believe this performance against a lame SL side is proof he's a better player than he was in his 2007/11 incarnation. In fact his record against Asian sides at home has generally been very good; if he'd been available and selected I'm sure he would've done well against India last year.

Most curious of all were the comments of Kerry O'Keefe who said he was baffled how English commentators like Botham didn't rate Mitch, even despite his Man Of the Match performance in Perth 2010/11. Obviously KOK has forgotten how Mitch performed in the other matches in that 10/11 series, or the 2009 series for that matter.

fwiw I was impressed by Mitch's batting yesterday, probably his most mature Test batting performance to date. It's almost as if he's was looking to prove to others he could play as an all-rounder. But playing against a pop-gun SL attack on a flat pitch is hardly the best test of his batting skills.

In anycase, as others have said here, it's his erraticness and his weakness under the glare of the Ashes spotlight that should be strong arguments as to why he shouldn't be a pivotal player on the 2013 Ashes (as KOK was arguing he would be).

 

[Spark]

Lords 09? You were chasing 500+ IIRC?

It was definitely looking chaseable at one point but that was entirely down to Clarke and Haddin. Johnson played a useful knock (last man out) and was certainly blameless but he did it when the game was more or less gone.

 

[Redbacks]

England had a field day against Mitch. I don't see how commentators can suggest he is back until he faces a top line batting attack and can prove he is able to land 5 balls an over where he wants. England were patient, they just picked off a pie an over and made him look amateur.

 

[Son Of Coco]

When it comes to Johnson it seems many people are like goldfish.

 

[M0rphin3]

Johnson is so ****ing annoying since his good stuff makes him hard to drop and then he follows it with bloody awful tripe.

 

[Jono]

England fans thanking the Lankans imo.

 

[Burgey]

The one reason he shouldn't be selected to tour England next year. That comes before you even look at his woeful record here or the numerous other options you have who are better than him.

On the basis of previous poor records, you wouldn't have brought Anderson here last tour.

Generally speaking though, I agree that MJ would not be near the team were the others fit. Nevertheless, it is pretty handy having a bloke around the fringes who has taken 200 test wickets, scored a test ton and can still put Sangakkara in hospital.

He's just an enigma, Johnson. Everyone should just give up trying to work him out in any meaningful way at all. He's beyond analysis.

 

[Arachnodouche]

He's the fittest fast bowler Aus has so it's always worth taking him on tour. I can't see the rest staying fit for an entire tour. And he seems to do well when he isn't in the reckoning and then is called on to play the odd game.

 

[Midwinter]

The enigma of Mitchell Bloody Johnson !

Third most experienced player on the team, 30 years old, played cricket all his life.

On a hat trick in a test match ... noball

Closing in on hundred against a modest bowling attack, batting with no's 10 & 11 .... takes a single of the first ball of an over to let first gamer No 11 face the bowling.

To be fair KOK said something like love him and hate him.

A bloke in the Age called him trash & treasure.

 

[Prince EWS]

On the basis of previous poor records, you wouldn't have brought Anderson here last tour.

Anderson had improved out of sight though so they backed him to take him that improvement across. Do we reckon Johnson has improved his bowling in the last couple of years?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Anderson had improved out of sight though so they backed him to take him that improvement across. Do we reckon Johnson has improved his bowling in the last couple of years?

This in spades. Plus Anderson is a thinking bowler, Johnson doesn't have a clue how he does it.