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Mitchell Guy Johnson (born 2 November 1981) is a former Australian
cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er, who played all forms of the game for his national side. He is a left-arm fast bowler and left-handed batsman. He made his
Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
debut for
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in November 2007. Johnson is considered to be one of the great fast bowlers of his era. Johnson was awarded the
International Cricket Council The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the world governing body of cricket. Headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, its members are List of International Cricket Council members, 108 national associations, with 12 List of Internation ...
's
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy is a cricket trophy is awarded annually by the International Cricket Council to the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year. It is considered to be the most prestigious of the annual ICC Awards and was first awarded in 20 ...
(ICC Cricketer of the Year) in 2009. After suffering a drop in form that led to his removal from the national side in early 2013, he was particularly successful in his 'comeback' to the Australian Test squad during the
2013–14 Ashes series The 2013–14 Ashes (named Commonwealth Bank Ashes Series for sponsorship reasons) was a Test cricket series between England and Australia. The five venues for the series were the Brisbane Cricket Ground, the Adelaide Oval, the WACA Ground, the ...
in Australia, during which he dominated England's batting. He cemented his place in the Australian side in the following Test series against
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
and was rewarded with his second Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy and first
ICC Test Player of the Year The ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year is an annual award, presented since 2004 by the International Cricket Council to the best Test cricketer over the year in question. It is one of the annual ICC Awards. Selection The recipient of the annual ...
award in 2014. He played a key role in the semi-final and
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
matches of the 2015 World Cup, which ultimately culminated in
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
winning the World Cup for the fifth time. Johnson retired from all forms of international cricket in November 2015, having represented Australia in a total of 256 matches. He was the last active Australian player with a Test cap number in the 300s. In terms of time span, Johnson is also the quickest bowler to reach 150 Test wickets, doing so in 2 years and 139 days. In August 2018, Johnson announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He is currently a commentator for the JLT Cup and
Big Bash League The Big Bash League (known as the KFC Big Bash League for sponsorship reasons, often abbreviated to BBL or Big Bash) is an Australian professional club Twenty20 cricket league, which was established in 2011 by Cricket Australia. The Big Bash Le ...
on Fox Cricket.


Early and personal life

Johnson was born and raised in
Townsville, Queensland Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...
. His first sporting love was
tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...
with his idol being
Pete Sampras Petros "Pete" Sampras ( el, Πέτρος Σάμπρας; born August 12, 1971) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. His professional career began in 1988 and ended at the 2002 US Open, which he won, defeating longtime rival Andre ...
. At 14 he was offered the opportunity to move to
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
to further his tennis career but turned it down. It wasn't until the age of 17 that Johnson gave up on his childhood dream of being a professional tennis player and began focusing on cricket. Johnson married former model and
karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
black belt Black Belt may refer to: Martial arts * Black belt (martial arts), an indication of attainment of expertise in martial arts * ''Black Belt'' (magazine), a magazine covering martial arts news, technique, and notable individuals Places * Black B ...
Jessica Bratich in May 2011. The couple has a daughter born in 2012, and a son born in 2016. Johnson is
cross-dominant Cross-dominance, also known as mixed-handedness, hand confusion, or mixed dominance, is a motor skill manifestation in which a person favors one hand for some tasks and the other hand for others, or a hand and the contralateral leg. For example, ...
: he bats and bowls left handed but uses his right hand to write. In 2016, Mitchell Johnson published his autobiography ''Resilient''.


Domestic career


Australian domestic competition

When Johnson attended a fast bowling clinic in
Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
at age 17, former Test fast bowler
Dennis Lillee Dennis Keith Lillee, (born 18 July 1949) is Australian retired cricketer rated as the "outstanding fast bowler of his generation".
identified him as a "once-in-nine-lives prospect". Lillee contacted former teammate
Rod Marsh Rodney William Marsh (4 November 1947 – 4 March 2022) was an Australian professional cricketer who played as a wicketkeeper for the Australian national team. Marsh had a Test career spanning from the 1970–71 to the 1983–84 Australian ...
and arranged for Johnson to join the
Australian Cricket Academy The Australian Cricket Academy was founded in 1987 as a joint initiative of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and the Australian Cricket Board (ACB). It was initially located at Henley Beach in Adelaide before moving to the Allan Border Fie ...
in
Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
. Johnson subsequently played for the Australian Under-19 side that toured England in 1999, however recurrent back injuries hampered his prospects. He recovered to start his first-class career two years later, when he was selected to play state cricket for his native Queensland. Playing for Queensland against
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, Johnson hit a six off the first ball he faced in first-class cricket. In September 2005, he was in the Australia A cricket team that toured Pakistan. He generally bowls the sling action and has the capability to bowl in excess of , his fastest being in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
in the 2013–14 Ashes series. Johnson switched from the Queensland Bulls to the Western Warriors on 25 July 2008.


Big Bash League (BBL)

In August 2016, it was announced that Johnson had signed with the Perth Scorchers for the
2016–17 Big Bash League season The 2016–17 Big Bash League season or BBL, 06 was the sixth season of the KFC Big Bash League, the professional men's Twenty20 domestic cricket competition in Australia. The tournament ran from 20 December 2016 to 28 January 2017. The format ...
. In the semi-final against the Melbourne Stars, Johnson produced the most economical bowling figures in BBL history with 3/3 from 4 overs, with his first run conceded on his 18th delivery.


Indian Premier League (IPL)

In February 2014, Johnson was sold to Kings XI Punjab of Indian Premier League for 1,160,000 AUD. In February 2017, he was bought by the
Mumbai Indians Mumbai Indians are a franchise cricket team based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, that competes in the Indian Premier League and is the most successful team of the tournament with 5 titles. Founded in 2008, the team is owned by India's biggest conglo ...
for the
2017 Indian Premier League The 2017 season of the Indian Premier League, also known as IPL 10 and branded as Vivo IPL 2017, was the tenth edition of the IPL, a professional Twenty20 cricket league established by the BCCI in 2007. The tournament featured the eight teams ...
for 2
crore A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
s. In January 2018, he was bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders for the
2018 Indian Premier League The 2018 season of the Indian Premier League, also known as IPL 11, was the eleventh season of the IPL, a professional Twenty20 cricket league established by the BCCI in 2007. The season, which was held from 7 April to 27 May, saw the return of ...
for 314,000 US.


International career


Tests

Johnson was chosen to be in the squad for the first
Ashes Ashes may refer to: *Ash, the solid remnants of fires. Media and entertainment Art * ''Ashes'' (Munch), an 1894 painting by Edvard Munch Film * ''The Ashes'' (film), a 1965 Polish film by director Andrzej Wajda * ''Ashes'' (1922 film), a ...
Test beginning on 23 November 2006, but was 12th man in all of the games. On 10 November 2007, while making his Australian Test match debut against
Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
at his home ground, the Gabba, Johnson took his first wicket – that of
Thilan Samaraweera Thilan Thusara Samaraweera ( si, තිලාන් සමරවීර; born 22 September 1976) is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer. Samaraweera played international cricket for Sri Lanka. Known as Sri Lanka's crisis man and for his sl ...
, caught by
Adam Gilchrist Adam Craig Gilchrist (; born 14 November 1971) is an Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer and captain of the Australia national cricket team. He was an attacking left-handed batsman and record-breaking wicket-keep ...
. Johnson went on to take 4/96 in the match. On 19 January 2008, Johnson scored his first ever Test half-century, against
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
in
Perth Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, having been both dropped and bowled off a no-ball, although
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
ended up losing the match. On the second day of the first Test against South Africa in Perth on 18 December 2008, Johnson took seven wickets for just 12 runs, including five wickets for two runs near the close, to reduce the tourists from 3/234 to 8/241. He ended with 8/61 the next day. Despite this performance,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
went on to lose the Test. Batting with Michael Clarke, he made 64 later in the series. The 2009 tour to South Africa saw an important development in Johnson's armoury – the ability to consistently swing the ball into the right-hander, which he previously had struggled to achieve. During the first Test, on 27 February 2009, Johnson scored 96 not out, to help
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
post 466 all out. This included one over in which he scored 26 runs off the bowling of Paul Harris, hitting two fours and three sixes, the last of which carried out of the stadium and broke
the record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee Ge ...
for the most runs in an over for
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in a Test match. He also took eight wickets with the ball. In the second Test, he unleashed a fiery spell of fast bowling that gained him two wickets in his first over and three in his first spell, as well as sending both
Jacques Kallis Jacques Henry Kallis (born 16 October 1975) is a South African cricket coach and former cricketer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers of all time and as South Africa's greatest batsman ever, he is a right-handed batsman and righ ...
and Graeme Smith off, retired hurt. After this, notable cricket commentator Peter Roebuck described him as the best fast bowler in the world. In the third Test, with
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
almost defeated, he struck his maiden Test century 123 not out, reaching triple figures in only 66 balls. With tail-ender
Bryce McGain Bryce Edward McGain (born 25 March 1972) is an Australian former cricketer who played a single Test cricket, Test match for the Australia national cricket team, as well as domestically for Victoria cricket team, Victoria. McGain made his First- ...
for company, Johnson decided to take on the bowling and struck Dale Steyn for six to reach his century. Although
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
went on to lose the Test match by an innings, Johnson was named man of the series, with 16 wickets and over 250 runs in 3 matches. During the 2009 Ashes tour he was criticised for his poor bowling and his lack of control. Johnson's position as spearhead of the Australian seam-attack was called into question, with match figures of 3/200 in the second Test at
Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...
and his demotion to first-change bowler in Australia's tour game against
Northamptonshire Northamptonshire (; abbreviated Northants.) is a county in the East Midlands of England. In 2015, it had a population of 723,000. The county is administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire. It is ...
. In the match against Northamptonshire, he returned 7/67 from 18.1 overs as Australia won by 135 runs. Despite his poor form he was selected for the third Test. Johnson consequently re-discovered some form in the fourth Test, taking 5/69 in the second innings. Johnson appeared to get back to his best towards the end of 2009, earning praise from captain
Ricky Ponting Ricky Thomas Ponting (born 19 December 1974) is an Australian cricket coach, commentator, and former cricketer. Ponting was captain of the Australian national team during its "golden era", between 2004 and 2011 in Test cricket and 2002 and 20 ...
during the summer series against both the
West Indies The West Indies is a subregion of North America, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea that includes 13 independent island countries and 18 dependencies and other territories in three major archipelagos: the Greater A ...
and
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. He finished the year as the world's top wicket-taker (63) and also became the first Australian to take 30 wickets and score 300 runs in a calendar year. In the
2010–11 Ashes series The 2010–11 Ashes series (known as the Vodafone Ashes Series for sponsorship reasons) was the 66th series of Test cricket matches played to contest The Ashes. The series was played in Australia as part of the England cricket team's tour of the ...
, Johnson took more wickets than any other Australian with 15 (36.93), even though he played only 4 Tests. In the first Test at the Gabba he was hit for 0/170 in the match and was so out of form that he was dropped. Returning for the third Test at
the WACA The WACA (formally the WACA Ground) is a sports stadium in Perth, Western Australia. The stadium's name derives from the initials of its owners and operators, the Western Australian Cricket Association. The WACA has been referred to as Western ...
he hit 62, took 6/38 and 3/44 was instrumental in Australia's 267-run victory. However, his wayward bowling returned and Johnson became the subject of a chanting by the
Barmy Army The Barmy Army is a company that provides tickets and arranges touring parties for some of its members to follow the English cricket team in the UK and overseas. The Barmy Army was at first an informal group, but was later turned into a company li ...
whenever he bowled; ''He bowls to the left, He bowls to the right, That Mitchell Johnson, His bowling is shite''. In the fifth Test at the
Sydney Cricket Ground The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in Sydney, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australian rules football and occasionally for rugby league, rugby union and as ...
,
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
fans sang this as he walked to the crease and he made a first ball duck as England won by an innings to retain the Ashes. In July 2012, he admitted the jibes he'd received from England fans during successive Ashes series defeats had dented his confidence. He has also, however, considered the choice to target him as a compliment. Ever since his overall poor Ashes series, Johnson claimed a spot in the South African series. He did not fare well in that series either, without picking up a 4 or 5 wicket haul, leaking many runs and not contributing heavily with the bat. He picked up a toe injury, escaping being dropped. He did find himself, later that year, in the 3rd Test against South Africa in Perth. There, he bowled exquisitely, picking up the prized wicket of Hashim Amla and finishing with a four-wicket haul. He also gained a place in the Test series against Sri Lanka and although he didn't play in the 1st Test, he was the man of the match in the 2nd, claiming match figures of 6–79 as well as playing a brilliant 92 not out. He then had to play as an
all-rounder An all-rounder is a cricketer who regularly performs well at both batting and bowling. Although all bowlers must bat and quite a handful of batsmen do bowl occasionally, most players are skilled in only one of the two disciplines and are consi ...
in the 3rd Test due to Shane Watson's injury. He had a poor first innings with the ball and bat with figures of 1–118 and only making 13, despite a fierce spell to
Lahiru Thirimanne Hettige Don Rumesh Lahiru Thirimanne, known as Lahiru Thirimanne ( si, හෙට්ටිගේ දොන් රුමේෂ් ළහිරු තිරිමාන්න; born 9 August 1989) is a Sri Lankan international cricketer, and a for ...
which, unfortunately, didn't claim any wickets. He did bowl well in the second innings however, claiming the prized wickets of Tillakaratne Dilshan and Thirimanne. Before the 3rd Test against India in March 2013, Johnson was dropped along with
James Pattinson James Lee Pattinson (born 3 May 1990) is an Australian cricketer. Pattinson is considered an aggressive fast bowler. After making his Test cricket debut in late 2011, he played Test and limited overs cricket for the Australia national cricket ...
, Shane Watson and
Usman Khawaja Usman Tariq Khawaja ( ur, ; born 18 December 1986) is an Australian cricketer who represents Australia and Queensland. Khawaja made his first-class cricket debut for New South Wales in 2008 and played his first international match for Australi ...
following a breach of discipline. Michael Clarke, the captain, revealed that the extreme step had been taken as a result of repeated infractions which led to Watson flying back home and contemplating Test retirement. Former players reacted with astonishment at the harsh decision taken by the team management. After a year away from international cricket, including being dropped for the Ashes tour of England, Johnson returned to the Australia team for the return Ashes series in Australia. In the first innings of the first Test, after Australia ended with 295 all out (Johnson himself contributing 64), England were put under pressure by Johnson's intimidatingly quick and thunderously aggressive bowling style. After claiming the wicket of Jonathan Trott just before lunch on the second day, he then dismissed
Michael Carberry Michael Alexander Carberry (born 29 September 1980) is an English former professional cricketer who most recently played for Leicestershire County Cricket Club. Carberry is a left-handed opening batsman who bowls occasional right-arm off break ...
,
Joe Root Joseph Edward Root, (born 30 December 1990) is an English international cricketer, who plays for the England Test and One Day International (ODI) teams, and formerly captained the Test team. He also represents Yorkshire in English domestic ...
and Graeme Swann in successive overs, engineering a dramatic English collapse from 2/82 to 136 all out. He backed up his 4–61 in the first innings with 5–42 in the second to seal a crushing victory. In the next Test at the
Adelaide Oval Adelaide Oval is a sports ground in Adelaide, South Australia, located in the parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide. The venue is predominantly used for cricket and Australian rules football, but has also played host to rugby ...
, Johnson produced arguably his best ever bowling performance, reaching speeds of on a flat pitch. After Australia scored 9/570, England were steady at 4/116 at lunch on the third day before Johnson again tore through their line-up, this time taking five wickets in three overs and finishing with 7–40 as England made only 172; Australia won the match by 218 runs. It was during this match that Johnson entered the top ten Australian wicket takers in Test cricket. Johnson continued his exceptional form throughout the series, finding the consistency he had previously lacked, and took 37 wickets in the five-match series, which Australia won 5–0. He was named man of the series, having been man of the match in 3 of the 5 matches (the 1st, 2nd and 4th Tests). Johnson carried his form into the 2014 series in South Africa. His performance in the
Centurion A centurion (; la, centurio , . la, centuriones, label=none; grc-gre, κεντυρίων, kentyríōn, or ) was a position in the Roman army during classical antiquity, nominally the commander of a century (), a military unit of around 80 ...
match was particularly good, as he took 7 wickets in the first innings and 5 wickets in second innings to give Australia an emphatic win by 281 runs. Australia went on to win the 3-match series 2–1 with Johnson taking 22 wickets. During the first innings of the
2015 Ashes series The 2015 Ashes series (named Investec Ashes Series for sponsorship reasons) was a series of Test cricket matches played between England and Australia for The Ashes. The venues were Sophia Gardens (Cardiff), Lord's (London), Edgbaston (Birmingham ...
, he picked up the worst bowling figures of his career, 0–111, where he was torn apart by England's batsmen. However, in the 2nd Test at Lord's, Johnson recovered to take 6 wickets in the match and a run-out of
Ben Stokes Benjamin Andrew Stokes (born 4 June 1991) is an English international cricketer who is the captain of the England Test team and plays for the England Twenty20 International (T20I) team. In domestic cricket, he represents Durham and has playe ...
to help Australia to a 405-run win to level the series with England at 1–1. In the next Test at
Edgbaston Edgbaston () is an affluent suburban area of central Birmingham, England, historically in Warwickshire, and curved around the southwest of the city centre. In the 19th century, the area was under the control of the Gough-Calthorpe family an ...
, Johnson became the first Australian player since Shane Warne to claim at least 300 wickets and score at least 2000 runs. Johnson announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket on 17 November 2015, before play on the final day of the second Test of the Trans-Tasman Trophy series, a three-match series against New Zealand. While coming out to bat in his last innings later that day at his adopted home ground, the WACA, Johnson received a
guard of honour A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...
from the New Zealand players, who congratulated him for his prolific career. He scored 35 runs in his final innings and then took both wickets in New Zealand's second innings, with the match ending in a draw that was enough for Australia to retain the Trans-Tasman Trophy.


One Day Internationals

In December 2005, Johnson was selected for the Australian
One Day International A One Day International (ODI) is a form of limited overs cricket, played between two teams with international status, in which each team faces a fixed number of overs, currently 50, with the game lasting up to 9 hours. The Cricket World C ...
team, making his debut against New Zealand in
Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...
, with chairman of selectors
Trevor Hohns Trevor Victor Hohns (born 23 January 1954) is a former Queensland and Australian cricketer who played in seven Test matches as a spin bowler, and was later Australia's chairman of selectors. Earlier in his career when Hohns was a relatively ...
justifying his selection on the grounds of grooming players for the future. Johnson gave the first signs of his potential at international level against the strong Indian batting line-up in a One Day International in
Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, Johnson's 7th. He took 4/11 off just 4 overs, including the wickets of
Sachin Tendulkar Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (; ; born 24 April 1973) is an Indian former international cricketer who captained the Indian national team. He is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the all time highest run-scor ...
,
Rahul Dravid Rahul Sharad Dravid (; born 11 January 1973) is an Indian cricket coach and former captain of the Indian national team, currently serving as its head coach. Prior to his appointment to the senior men's national team, Dravid was the Head of ...
and
Yuvraj Singh Yuvraj Singh (born 12 December 1981) is a former Indian international cricketer who played in all formats of the game. He is an all-rounder who batted left-handed in the middle order and bowled slow left-arm orthodox . He has won 7 Player of ...
. Johnson then played in the Australian
2006 ICC Champions Trophy The 2006 ICC Champions Trophy was a One Day International cricket tournament held in India from 7 October to 5 November 2006. It was the fifth edition of the ICC Champions Trophy (previously known as the ICC Knock-out). The tournament venue was n ...
team and in the group A match against England where he took 3/40, including the wicket of
Kevin Pietersen Kevin Peter Pietersen (born 27 June 1980) is a cricket commentator, conservationist, and former England international cricket player. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who played in all three formats for England betw ...
. On 26 January 2007, Johnson took 4 wickets in 8 balls during the seventh match of the
CB Series The Australian Tri-Series was an annual one day international (ODI) cricket tournament held in Australia, and contested by Australia and two touring teams. The series was the primary format for international one-day cricket throughout most of t ...
against England, for which he earned man of the match honours. In October 2007, Johnson helped Australia seal the ODI series in India. He finished as the top wicket-taker with 14 wickets, which showed his abilities, even on the slow pitches of the sub-continent. In the fifth ODI in
Vadodara Vadodara (), also known as Baroda, is the second largest city in the Indian state of Gujarat. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Vadodara district and is situated on the banks of the Vishwamitri River, from the state capital ...
he took 5/26, his first international five-wicket haul. Australia came into the
ICC Champions Trophy The ICC Champions Trophy is a One-Day International (ODI) cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council. The 2013 tournament was intended to be the final edition of the Champions Trophy, but it was extended to 2017 due to i ...
ranked second in ODIs; along with being the event's reigning champions."More mismatch than rematch"
Cricinfo, 26 September 2009, accessed 27 September 2009
They opened their campaign against an undermanned West Indian outfit who were without prominent players because of an industrial dispute."Under-strength Windies worry Ponting"
, ''Trinidad News'', 25 September 2009, accessed 26 September 2009
After being put into bat, Australia fell to 7/172 after 40 overs, before finishing on 8/275 in 50 overs as the pitch flattened out. Johnson scored a career best 73 not out, as Australia scored 69 runs from their batting Powerplay (between overs 44 and 49). In an innings which produced "fierce, clean hitting", Johnson struck three sixes and eight fours in his quick-fire 47 ball innings. Although Johnson went wicketless in the West Indian innings, he secured the man of the match award as Australia won by 50 runs.
Cricinfo, 27 September 2009, accessed 27 September 2009

Cricinfo, 26 September 2009, accessed 27 September 2009


T20 Internationals

Johnson played in 30 T20 Internationals for Australia, making his debut against
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...
in September 2010 and playing his final match against England in August 2013. His best batting performance was a 28 not out against Sri Lanka during the
2009 ICC World Twenty20 The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 was an international Twenty20 cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC) that took place in England in June 2009. It was the second ICC World Twenty20 tournament, following the inaugural ...
tournament played in England and his best bowling was 3–15, also recorded against Sri Lanka during the
2010 ICC World Twenty20 The 2010 ICC World Twenty20 was the third ICC World Twenty20 competition, an international Twenty20 cricket tournament that was held in the West Indies between 30 April and 16 May 2010. It was won by England, who defeated Australia in the fina ...
tournament in the West Indies.


Records and achievements

* The fifth highest wicket-taker in Test matches for Australia with 313 wickets, passing Brett Lee's tally of 310 Test wickets in his final Test. * The third highest wicket-taker among left-arm fast bowlers in Tests, behind
Wasim Akram Wasim Akram HI (; born 3 June 1966) is a Pakistani cricket commentator, coach, and former cricketer and captain of the Pakistan national cricket team. Akram is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, and several criti ...
(414) and
Chaminda Vaas Warnakulasuriya Patabendige Ushantha Joseph Chaminda Vaas (born 27 January 1974) is a former Sri Lankan international cricketer, who played all forms of the game, and a former ODI captain who is often described as the greatest fast medium bowl ...
(355). * Has the best bowling figures for a left-arm fast bowler in a single Test innings – 8/61 vs
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
at the WACA in 2008. * Took the most wickets (37) in the 2013–14 Ashes series at an
average In ordinary language, an average is a single number taken as representative of a list of numbers, usually the sum of the numbers divided by how many numbers are in the list (the arithmetic mean). For example, the average of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 7, ...
of 13.97 – the most by a fast bowler in the Ashes since 1981. * Has the most number of Test wickets against
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
(64), since their return to international cricket in 1992. * Took 80 wickets (in 39 innings) in the 4th innings of a Test match, which is fifth best for any bowler and second best among fast bowlers, behind only
Glenn McGrath Glenn Donald McGrath (; born 9 February 1970) is an Australian former international cricketer who played international cricket for 14 years. He was a fast-medium pace bowler (cricket), bowler and is considered one of the greatest international ...
(103). * The 13th player overall and second Australian, after Shane Warne, to take 300+ wickets and score 2000+ runs in Test cricket. * Has 590 international wickets (313 in Tests, 239 in ODIs and 38 in T20Is) to his name across all formats, in just 256 international matches (320 innings) at an average of 26.65. He is also fourth on the list of international wicket-takers for
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
, behind Shane Warne (1001),
Glenn McGrath Glenn Donald McGrath (; born 9 February 1970) is an Australian former international cricketer who played international cricket for 14 years. He was a fast-medium pace bowler (cricket), bowler and is considered one of the greatest international ...
(949) and Brett Lee (718).


Awards

*
Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy is a cricket trophy is awarded annually by the International Cricket Council to the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year. It is considered to be the most prestigious of the annual ICC Awards and was first awarded in 20 ...
(
ICC Cricketer of the Year The Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy is a cricket trophy is awarded annually by the International Cricket Council to the ICC Men's Cricketer of the Year. It is considered to be the most prestigious of the annual ICC Awards and was first awarded in 20 ...
): 2009, 2014 *
ICC Test Player of the Year The ICC Men's Test Cricketer of the Year is an annual award, presented since 2004 by the International Cricket Council to the best Test cricketer over the year in question. It is one of the annual ICC Awards. Selection The recipient of the annual ...
: 2014 *
ICC Test Team of the Year The ICC Men's Test Team of the Year is an honour awarded each year by the International Cricket Council. It recognises the top cricket players from around the world in the Test format of the game. The team does not actually compete, but exists s ...
: 2009, 2014 *
ICC ODI Team of the Year The ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year is an honour awarded each year by the International Cricket Council. It recognizes the top cricket players from around the world in the One Day International, ODI format of the game. The team does not actually ...
: 2008 *
McGilvray Medal The McGilvray Medal is an annual award given by ABC Radio to a player chosen by the commentators. It is awarded at the beginning of the calendar year to honour the player's achievements of the preceding year in Test cricket. It is sometimes referre ...
: 2008, 2009 * Allan Border Medal: 2014


Career best performances


Television

In 2020, it was announced Johnson would be participating the
Seven Network The Seven Network (commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, and is one of ...
's reality program '' SAS Australia''.(2 October 2020
Media Release: SAS Australia's full line up and air date revealed
''TV Blackbox''. Retrieved 2 October 2020.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson, Mitchell 1981 births Australia One Day International cricketers Australia Test cricketers Australia Twenty20 International cricketers Australian cricketers Cricketers at the 2007 Cricket World Cup Cricketers at the 2011 Cricket World Cup Cricketers at the 2015 Cricket World Cup Cricketers from Queensland International Cricket Council Cricketer of the Year Living people Mumbai Indians cricketers Karachi Kings cricketers Kolkata Knight Riders cricketers Queensland cricketers Perth Scorchers cricketers Sportspeople from Townsville Western Australia cricketers