“The songs had got into my head”
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
In his autobiography, Resilient, former Australia pace maestro Mitchell Johnson has brought to light the fact that ex-England wicketkeeper Matt Prior goaded the Barmy Army into taunting and heckling him during the 2009 Ashes series.
Johnson struggled with his bowling during the series and the England fans were quick to let their opinion be heard as they were often heard singing: ‘He bowls to the left, he bowls to the right, that Mitchell Johnson, his bowling is shite’.
Johnson went on to pick up 20 wickets at an average of 32.55, but it all went in vain as England won the series 2-1.
“England knew they had their foot on my throat and they weren’t going to let me up,” he wrote. “When I batted, the close fielders sang the Barmy Army songs. I found out later that Matt Prior had texted the leader of the Army and told them to keep at me because they could see it had got under my skin.
“He was right. The songs had got into my head. Even though I hated them, I found myself singing them. It was almost like I was taunting myself.”