Johnson to use IPL as T20 career tester

Cricket365
April 29, 2016

Former Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson will be using the Indian Premier League season with Kings XI Punjab as a way to decided about playing T20 events in other countries in future.

The paceman retired from all international cricket last November, and did not play in the Big Bash League that followed a month later. But he has not closed the door on a T20 league career.

Johnson wrote for News Corp: "I'm still deciding on where I want to take my career at this stage.

"I really want to see how I feel throughout this tournament. If it feels right then I'll start to look at playing Twenty20 cricket around the world and then it’s just about planning what tournaments I want to play in.

"There are a few to choose from now."

Johnson conceded that he wasn't up to his usual pace quite yet, having been out of action for nearly six months before playing in this IPL. But he said he felt like he was shaking off the rust day by day.

He added: "I actually feel fine having returned to competitive cricket after a long time off. I'm a little bit stiff and sore but I think the more I bowl the better I get.

"I've always felt that way. That’s why I've always enjoyed playing the longer form. I feel pretty good and once I get a bit more bowling in I'll feel much better.

"My pace is probably down a little bit, but once I get a bit more rhythm I'll feel fine. I'm fresh, there are no worries about that. It’s just about getting more cricket under my belt.

"It can be hard in a tournament like this though, where it goes pretty quickly and you have to be pretty switched on straight away."