Today will be Mitch Johnson's last day of cricket

http://www.cricket.com.au/news/mitchell-johnson-to-retire-from-international-test-cricket-australia-new-zealand-second-test-waca/2015-11-17?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ausvnz

Very sudden.

But he does explain it quite fully, so fair enough. (Not sure the excursus into the pink ball issue is really needed on top of all the rest, but anyway.)

And sudden as it is, mid-series, at least it's not a Swann - hurtling himself off a capsizing ship, with the rest of the crew in disarray enough as it was. He leaves Australia in pretty rude health.

A very fine servant to his country. Rarely consistent for a long time - and with that and his eccentricities (express Groucho run-up, occasional fielding foibles, etc.) sadly a tempting butt for the loutishly well-beered, and the empathetically challenged - but always fast, or very fast, and when he got it right, with that speed and his angles, an utterly deadly matchwinner in his own right.

Thanks for the memories, Midge. At your best you were a thing of beauty, a true champion, and then you could be a pea-hearted dross weasel.

Thankfully, you worked hard and shook off the latter handle and gave us some stunning bursts of brilliance. You look tired though, so rest easy, big fella.

Aye, I'd wish him all the best in his retirement from international cricket.

At times an absolute pie-slinger, at others almost unplayable ..... England's batsmen certainly saw both extremes over the years - 2010 contrast his 0-170 at Brisbane with 9/82 at Perth a few weeks later, then in the 2013 whitewash nobody from Cook to Anderson could cope with him (quite possibly the final straw for J Trott already struggling with other mental issues, and almost certainly a big factor in the demise of Swann & Prior). Then again utter bilge earlier this year at Cardiff, and not much better at Nottingham. All in all, an honourable draw between him and England over the years IMHO.

As the 4th highest wicket taker, he will be missed for sure. Warne, McGrath and DKL above him, but I suspect he will be held in somewhat higher regard (as a man, at least) than a couple of the others by many fans. I got the impression that McGrath went down in many peoples estimation after pictures of his big game hunting. Warne seems to me to have always been acknowledged as a wonderful bowler, but a complete shit of a bloke.

im gonna miss him. whether he was bowling brilliantly or diabolically there was always something happening when he had the ball

nothing beige about mitchell johnson

this is bad .. mitch used to be one of the reasons why i turned on tv to watch cricket, which is very rare these days.

He provided some great moments for both Australian AND English fans over his career.

Where does he rank amongst Aussie quicks? Slightly above Brett Lee? On a par with McDermott, Thompson, and Hughes?

I thinkm you nailed it.

Henry wrote:He provided some great moments for both Australian AND English fans over his career.

Where does he rank amongst Aussie quicks? Slightly above Brett Lee? On a par with McDermott, Thompson, and Hughes?

Bit of disservice to Ray Lindwall here.

Absolutely devastating on his day - it often wasn't his day though. Never shirked as far as I can remember, still bowled filth with gusto when ordered

taipan wrote:

Henry wrote:He provided some great moments for both Australian AND English fans over his career.

Where does he rank amongst Aussie quicks? Slightly above Brett Lee? On a par with McDermott, Thompson, and Hughes?

Bit of disservice to Ray Lindwall here.

I don't think Trev was suggesting McDermott and Hughes are above Lindwall.

Merely suggesting Johnson is on par with them.

Lindwall, MacDonald, Spofforh, Miller, Davidson are all better than Johnson. To name just a few.

Brass Monkey wrote:Absolutely devastating on his day - it often wasn't his day though. Never shirked as far as I can remember, still bowled filth with gusto when ordered

That's a good description.

Paul Keating wrote:

taipan wrote:

Henry wrote:He provided some great moments for both Australian AND English fans over his career.

Where does he rank amongst Aussie quicks? Slightly above Brett Lee? On a par with McDermott, Thompson, and Hughes?

Bit of disservice to Ray Lindwall here.

I don't think Trev was suggesting McDermott and Hughes are above Lindwall.

Merely suggesting Johnson is on par with them.

Lindwall, MacDonald, Spofforh, Miller, Davidson are all better than Johnson. To name just a few.

Trev's already utterly damned MJ by saying he was only slightly above Brett Lee. Miles ahead of him IMHO; on effort alone. To put it another way, and I think Brass has already suggested this ... MJ's best was a lot better than Blee's best. MJ's worst was probably on a par with Blee's worst, but his effort never went missing and he was always trying something.

lardbucket wrote:

Paul Keating wrote:

taipan wrote:

Henry wrote:He provided some great moments for both Australian AND English fans over his career.

Where does he rank amongst Aussie quicks? Slightly above Brett Lee? On a par with McDermott, Thompson, and Hughes?

Bit of disservice to Ray Lindwall here.

I don't think Trev was suggesting McDermott and Hughes are above Lindwall.

Merely suggesting Johnson is on par with them.

Lindwall, MacDonald, Spofforh, Miller, Davidson are all better than Johnson. To name just a few.

Trev's already utterly damned MJ by saying he was only slightly above Brett Lee. Miles ahead of him IMHO; on effort alone. To put it another way, and I think Brass has already suggested this ... MJ's best was a lot better than Blee's best. MJ's worst was probably on a par with Blee's worst, but his effort never went missing and he was always trying something.

You could probably accuse Lee of a lot of things, but I don't think you could ever accuse him of not trying his best. 2005 Ashes a case in point.

The trouble is, he always tried the same thing.

or the exception that proves the rule

Well done Midge on a great career, not only a fearsome fast Bowler, but a handy contributor with Bat lower down the order.

lardbucket wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:Absolutely devastating on his day - it often wasn't his day though. Never shirked as far as I can remember, still bowled filth with gusto when ordered

That's a good description.

Johnno, when you write your book, there's the title....

Fred Nerk wrote:

lardbucket wrote:

Brass Monkey wrote:Absolutely devastating on his day - it often wasn't his day though. Never shirked as far as I can remember, still bowled filth with gusto when ordered

That's a good description.

Johnno, when you write your book, there's the title....

Might get confused with Big Merv's though.

At his best he was scary - as an England fan you just felt he was capable of taking us apart in any given spell.

Compelling to watch as it was either wickets and hostility or going all round the park.

I was less keen on his sometimes ratty, narky attitude. I prefer my pace bowlers to just get on with it - West Indies 80s style.

Probably mentally a lot stronger than he was given credit for - he took the Barmy Army moronic 'bowls to the left, bowls to the right' nonsense with relative good grace and managed to produce match winning performances inspite of that crap, can you imagine if Harmison had been subject to a similar level of ribbing/abuse? He'd have ended up bowling it to square leg.

Growler wrote:Aye, I'd wish him all the best in his retirement from international cricket.

At times an absolute pie-slinger, at others almost unplayable ..... England's batsmen certainly saw both extremes over the years - 2010 contrast his 0-170 at Brisbane with 9/82 at Perth a few weeks later, then in the 2013 whitewash nobody from Cook to Anderson could cope with him (quite possibly the final straw for J Trott already struggling with other mental issues, and almost certainly a big factor in the demise of Swann & Prior). Then again utter bilge earlier this year at Cardiff, and not much better at Nottingham. All in all, an honourable draw between him and England over the years IMHO.

As the 4th highest wicket taker, he will be missed for sure. Warne, McGrath and DKL above him, but I suspect he will be held in somewhat higher regard (as a man, at least) than a couple of the others by many fans. I got the impression that McGrath went down in many peoples estimation after pictures of his big game hunting. Warne seems to me to have always been acknowledged as a wonderful bowler, but a complete shit of a bloke.

The eye popping, mouth foaming, finger pointing, foul mouthed tirade aimed at Sarwan whilst on tour in the WI in early 2000s (I think?) was where he showed his true class.

A quality competitor. Even when he was bowling shite, he was giving it everything for the cause. In a shite way.

You always felt the opposition batsmen weren't quite ever in because there was the off-chance that Mitch could click and blow them away in a spell. And he was the kind of destructive lower-order batsman that you felt needed to be removed quickly before you could comfortably say you were into the tail.

Seems like a pretty decent bloke as well.

It's funny that a guy who can still bowl 90+mph rockets thinks he hasn't got it anymore. County cricket it full of ancient bowlers trundling it down at 75mph, stealing a living.

Lindsay no.2 wrote:
I was less keen on his sometimes ratty, narky attitude. I prefer my pace bowlers to just get on with it - West Indies 80s style.

I thought he was all right in that area. He liked to posture, but I can't think of any instances where he was particularly over the top or foul mouthed. Generally seemed like a good sport.

Ah, mixed feelings really, glad we won't ever have to face him in Australia again but would have liked to have seen him bowl for a couple more years.

Unstoppable on his day, struggle to think of a more explosive and terrifying fast bowler in my cricket watching life time.

Dello wrote:

Lindsay no.2 wrote:
I was less keen on his sometimes ratty, narky attitude. I prefer my pace bowlers to just get on with it - West Indies 80s style.

I thought he was all right in that area. He liked to posture, but I can't think of any instances where he was particularly over the top or foul mouthed. Generally seemed like a good sport.

There's a few times he had a bit of at chat, but that was usually when he was bowling up shite. Overall a decent bloke