In a recent column, Johnson targeted his former teammates, Warner and Cricket Australia's chairman of selectors George Bailey, raising questions about the rationale behind affording the left-handed opener a Test farewell, given his struggles in red-ball cricket and also accused Warner of failing to acknowledge his role in the ball-tampering scandal, widely known as 'Sandpaper Gate.' The former Australia fast bowler had also said that "Bailey was too close to some of the players" in the Australian team.