Clark: Aussies too reliant on Johnson

Former Australia fast bowler Stuart Clark feels the ODI side is too reliant on paceman Mitchell Johnson for their wickets, and when he is not playing they look toothless.

Johnson was by far their best bowler in the ODI series against Pakistan, and while he didn’t play in the third game he was still the highest wicket taker. Clark felt the back up youngsters were not effective enough.

“If I’ve got a worry, it’s Mitchell Johnson hurting himself,” Clark told the Clubhouse gang of his worries ahead of the World Cup.

“If he tears a hamstring and is out for a period of time, who is going to take the wickets? We’re seeing Mitch destroy top orders. We really need to find someone to help him out.

“If Ryan Harris would play one-day cricket I’d certainly be considering him, but I don’t think the selectors will.”

He added of the spin department, saying they were not attacking enough: “I think our biggest problem is we’ve got to find an attacking spinner.

“We’ve got some good defensive ones – [Steve] O’Keefe, [Nathan] Lyon and Glenn Maxwell. But I’d like to find an attacking spinner.

“In that middle stage there where there’s not much going on and the field starts to go out, you need someone who can take a wicket or two.”