Australia selector George Bailey defended David Warner against criticism from former teammate Mitchell Johnson. Bailey suggested that Johnson may not be in the right mental space to comment on Warner and advised him to refrain from doing so until he is in a similar position. However, Bailey has faced backlash from Johnson for questioning his mental health while criticizing Warner.

“To ask if I’m OK because I’ve had mental health issues is pretty much downplaying my article and putting it on mental health, which is quite disgusting I think. I’m fine. I’m not angry. I’m not jealous. I’m just writing a piece that for me, I felt like I needed to write,” he said on The Mitchell Johnson Cricket Podcast.

Bailey Dismissed as “Childish” and “Condescending” by 42-Year-Old Critics

“It’s basically having a dig at someone’s mental health and saying that I must have something going on – a mental health issue has made me say what I’ve said. It sort of tries to downplay the questions that I’ve asked in that article… It seems very childish from George and condescending,” he added.

To give you some background, Johnson criticized Warner, saying he shouldn’t get a heroic farewell in his last series, and he brought up the past ball-tampering controversy. The 73-Test veteran expressed disapproval of Bailey’s decision to pick Warner despite his struggles in Test cricket.

“When then-captain Tim Paine’s career was ending over the sexting controversy, chairman of selectors George Bailey said he didn’t want to be part of deciding Paine’s fate because the pair were close friends. The handling of Warner in recent years, who played with Bailey in all three forms, raises the question of whether Bailey was simply too quickly out of playing and into the job and too close to some of the players,” said Johnson in his column for The West Australian.