“If we leave Tests to wealthy, it dies a slow death” – Mitchell Johnson Slams Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg’s Idea of Limiting Test Cricket to Wealthy Nations
Mitchell Johnson criticises calls to restrict Test cricket to rich nations, urging boards to support smaller countries instead
Former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has hit out at Cricket Australia CEO Todd Greenberg’s remarks suggesting not all nations should play Test cricket or bear its financial strain. Johnson argued that the format should not be restricted to India, England and Australia but supported and nurtured across the cricketing world.
Writing in his column for The West Australian, “Here’s the thing — if that’s the fear, then we’ve already missed the point. The solution to saving Test cricket isn’t to scale it down to three or four rich countries. It’s to lift the rest up. Help them. Grow the game. Back them.”
Johnson backed the idea of a two-tier Test system with promotion and relegation but stressed that smaller nations should be encouraged, not excluded. He urged richer boards to do more than just provide funds, calling for guidance, mentoring and physical presence to help build grassroots cricket and grow fan engagement.
He warned that if Test cricket became a privilege only for the wealthiest nations, it would “die a slow death”.
“Fans see through that. Players lose hope. And one by one, countries quietly drift towards the formats that pay quicker and hurt less. West Indies cricket has been an example of this,” Johnson wrote.
Johnson underlined the unique value of Test cricket, which he said comes from endurance and resilience.
“You earn it over years — through bruises, setbacks, second-innings spells in 40C heat when your body says no and your heart says yes. And that feeling isn’t exclusive to Australia or India or England. It lives in the soul of every young cricketer from all parts of the world. The only difference is opportunity.”
According to him, leadership in world cricket should focus on expanding the base of Test cricket rather than narrowing it.
“This is where real leadership starts — not by pulling up the ladder, but by building a stronger base,” he said.
