Mitchell Johnson wants to move on from David Warner controversy: 'Have said what I said'

Ten days since making a controversial comment Australia opener David Warner, Mitchell Johnson said that it was time to “move on”, adding that he had just given his opinion. In a column for the West Australian earlier in December, Johnson had said that Warner had not deserved a "hero's send off" after having never “really owned” the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal in 2018. On Thursday, Warner played a knock of 164 on Day one of the first Test against Pakistan in Perth. Also: David Warner breaks silence on Mitchell Johnson attack, Pat Cummins backs opener In the aftermath of his comments on Warner, Johnson was left out of the Triple M commentary panel ahead of Australia’s home Test series opener against Pakistan. “Look, I wasn’t meant to be here from what I was told,” Johnson said on the Mitchell Johnson Show podcast. “I was happy to be here. It has been an interesting time," he added. “I have given my opinion. I have said what I have said and we move on," Johnson commented. Ahead of the ongoing first Test against Pakistan, Warner had said that the selectors retained faith in him only because of his performance in England during the Ashes. Warner scored 285 runs from five matches in the Ashes, including two half centuries. “For me, leading into the World Test Championship, it was about how many Tests I was going to play,” Warner had said on Fox Cricket. “Looking back, if people read my comments, ideal scenario would be to finish in Australia. But you’ve still got to score runs, you’ve still got to perform. Lord’s was going to be my last Test if I wasn’t scoring runs in England. But we managed to keep winning and keep going well, so the selectors kept the faith in me and in the team,” the 37-year-old added.