'Left a bit of a bad taste': Brad Haddin condemns Mitchell Johnson's 'aggressive' takedown of David Warner
Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has denounced ex-teammate Mitchell Johnson's "aggressive attack" on David Warner.
Johnson unleashed a scathing attack on Warner and national team selector George Bailey in a column for a Western Australia newspaper on Sunday.
The 42-year-old called out Warner's sub-par Test form while suggesting Bailey had preferential treatment of players he played alongside.
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Speaking on his podcast Willow Talk alongside Alyssa Healy, Haddin criticised Johnson's comments targeting Warner's selection in Australia's 14-man squad for the first Test against Pakistan.
Brad Haddin, David Warner and Mitchell Johnson pictured during their time together in Australia's Test team Getty
"Mitch's summary of it was a bit a bit odd and left field," he said.
"I don't mind past players saying, 'OK, this is why I wouldn't have him in the team, this is what I'd look at'.
"It looked like a bit of an aggressive attack on Davey's personality, which I don't think you need.
"Yes, you can have an opinion on what you think the team should be, but I don't like when past players go really hard in a personal angle to the players and it felt a little bit like that to me.
"Everyone's entitled to their opinions on selections.
"He attacked David and George on levels you don't want to see anywhere, to be honest. It left a bit of a bad taste in a few people's mouths."
David Warner and Mitchell Johnson as Australian teammates on an Ashes tour in 2015. Getty
Johnson has since revealed he had a falling out with Warner earlier this year after receiving "personal" text messages in response to another critical column of the veteran Test opener ahead of the Ashes.
"They played together, they're mates, they've been mates for well over 15 years," Healy said.
"To then go bang really hard on a personal note, there's obviously some scars there … he's entitled to his opinion, but for me it makes cricket look a little negative, and I'm not a huge fan of that."
In the wake of his explosive takedown, Johnson appears to have been snubbed from one of his media jobs working with Triple M for the first Test in Perth.
Australia take on Pakistan in the first Test of their three-match series beginning Thursday, December 14 at Optus Stadium.
