Afternoon:
9°c
Aussie reduced to Ashes by mother's clash with girlfriend
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent23 Jul 2009
Australia's Mitchell Johnson with his girlfriend, karate champion Jessica Bratich
Why was Aussie superstar fast bowler Mitchell Johnson such a hopeless failure in the last Ashes Test? It was all his mother's fault, apparently.
He can't bowl straight because he has been upset by a blazing public row between his mother and his girlfriend.
Former Australian stars are queuing up to blame Vikki Harber, 45, who claims her son has been stolen from her by his karate champion fiancée Jessica Bratich.
She is angry that Australia's cricket bosses flew out the players' “bitchy” girlfriends rather than parents to support their offspring.
But the mother, from Coolangatta in Queensland, who says she has not seen her son since January, has hit back at her critics. In a blow to Australian sportsmen's macho image, she sent her son a tearful plea: “Never forget I love you, mate.”
She went on: “If you could let Mitch know that I love him, that I'm so proud of him. Everyone in the family is. To see him struggle over there, it really upsets me. To suggest I'm responsible for Australia losing the Ashes series, that's just ridiculous.
“I mean yes, Mitchell is a fairly sensitive individual and it's hard to say what impact this has had on him, but they are all things that can be worked through when he comes home.”
By that time, hopefully, the Ashes will be back in English hands.
When it comes to choosing between mother and girlfriend, Ms Bratich — who regularly poses for bikini shots — makes a convincing case.
Asked whether the Aussie team has a compulsory sex-before-the-Test-match policy, she replied: “There's no policy in writing, but I think what happens in the bedroom should stay in the bedroom.”
Accompanying Johnson at the Allan Border Award ceremony before leaving Australia, she arrived in a stunning sheer Grecian dress which just happened to blow aside, exposing her knickers to the grateful cameramen.
Johnson arrived for the Ashes with a huge reputation, but in the First Test at Cardiff he was unthreatening.
In the second clash, won by England by 115 runs, Johnson was a disaster — bowling such rubbish that the England openers hammered him at up to seven runs an over.
England raced to 196-0 and, as Australia captain Ricky Ponting said, virtually won the game on the first day.
Experts in England have examined the bowler's technique, but in Australia the finger is pointing straight at the mother. Former Aussie captain Kim Hughes said Ms Harber has sent her son's confidence to “rock bottom”.
He said: “He was the strike bowler expected to lead the attack in England but he is now battling some pretty serious off-field issues.”
Reader views (5)
what is mrs harber's problem in life?johnson is an adult.i'm sure he knows what he's doing.after all he's an adult person
- Rupu Darling, india, 18/12/2009 10:09
Report abuse
That is sinking low, even for an Aussie. Blaming your Mum for playing badly!
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 18/12/2009 09:09
Report abuse
That goes a long way to explain why the Aussies were so tired from day one.
How anyone can concentrate on sex, even with a girlfriend as gorgeous as this one, knowing that one's mother is keeping tabs on every move must be so off putting and must have seriously hindered his performance.
- Dereck, London, England, 18/12/2009 09:09
Report abuse
Quick, lets start a collection and fly Vikki Harber over here without delay!
- Carl, London, 18/12/2009 09:09
Report abuse
compulsory sex before test matches? what a team!
- Doug Shaw, London, 18/12/2009 09:09
Report abuse
