The Oz Warrior

“I worked as a delivery driver getting up at 4:30am and delivering all the plumbing supplies to work sites.” Four back stress fractures saw him heading for cricket’s scrapheap.

With his hostile pace, spot-on strike power and brutal short deliveries, this ‘once in a generation’ bowler‘s resurgence is spectacular. Now, he is one of the most prized possessions for a skipper.

He was named ICC Cricketer of the Year for the year 2009 and 2014.

 

Childhood

Mitchell Guy Johnson was born on November 2, 1981 in Queensland. As a boy he played a host of sports with tennis his top choice and Pete Sampras his hero.

There were no silver spoons in the Johnson household in Townsville and when Mitchell asked his father whether he could have a pair of spikes, his father reluctantly rejected the request on the grounds he could not afford it.

Johnson’s talent was identified by cricket legend Dennis Lillee who arranged for him to join the Australian Cricket Academy. Johnson consequently toured England with Australia’s Under-19 squad.

 

Career

He struggled with back injuries and only made his first-class debut for Queensland at the age of 20.

Recurrent breakdowns denied him the early momentum in his career and it was only in 2004-05, when he enjoyed his first injury-free season.

Johnson burst onto the ODI scene by taking wickets of 4 titans in the strong Indian batting line up.  In the 2007 ODI series, he was the highest wicket taker and played a key role in winning the series for his team. 

Johnson starred in the second test against South Africa in 2008 scalping 8 wickets. In 2009, when the Aussies traveled to South Africa, Johnson scored an unbeaten 96. 
In the third test of the three match series, Johnson scored a breath-taking 123 not out. Johnson was named, the Man of the Series for his scintillating all round performance. 

Johnson’s magic started to dwindle in 2009, particularly during the Ashes where he struggled to pick wickets. He was criticized severely but managed to hold on to his place in the squad. 
He slowly started to re-gain the lost touch with notable performances against the West Indies and Pakistan in the same year. 

It was in the 2010-11 Ashes where he was subjected to abusive chants from the Barmy Army due to his inconsistencies. However, consistent performances in ODIs meant that he was the spearhead of the Australian bowling attack but his Test place fluctuated.

A toe injury ruled him out of the 2013 Ashes. He worked on his technical aspects and his hard work immediately paid rich dividends as helped his side retain the Ashes later that year.

 

Personal Life

Mitchell Johnson dated Jessica Bratich, a Karate enthusiast and is now married to her.

Due to his relationship with Bratich, differences with his mom surfaced. Johnson’s mom accused Jessica of stealing her son away from her. 

Johnson loves heavy metal music and fast cars.