England players called mentally fragile by Johnson [Source: AFP]Australia vs England, two cricketing nations that have played the most amount of Test matches have been involved in countless historic battles since the game’s inception. Rivalries may come and go, but nothing matches the Australia vs England intensity, as the two teams always want to get the better of one another.Speaking of the banter and war of words, Mitchell Johnson, one of the greatest Australian pacers, recently took a jibe at the English team. Johnson didn’t mince his words as he called the England side “mentally fragile”, and blamed the English media for hyping their team.Johnson calls England "mentally fragile" sideJohnson and England’s love-hate relationship goes back to the 2009 Ashes, where he picked up 20 wickets, but at the same time, he was involved in on-field arguments with English players.Last year, England toured Australia, and the visitors were outplayed by the Aussies as the Ben Stokes-led side surrendered and lost the series, 1-4. Despite being on top on several occasions, England couldn’t capitalise and seize the opportunity.On the same note, Johnson questioned England’s mentality as he launched a brutal attack on them.Troll cricket unlimitedd @TUnlimitedd Mitchell Johnson has launched a brutal attack on the English Cricket Team: "Every Ashes cycle brings the same old story from these Poms. Australia's batting or bowling is weak yet every time, they end up getting humiliated, exposed and sent back home empty handed. They are a Sep 21, 2026, 1:50 PM "Every Ashes cycle brings the same old story from these Poms. Australia's batting or bowling is weak yet every time, they end up getting humiliated, exposed and sent back home empty handed. They are a mentally weak and fragile team only hyped up thanks to their media, there is nothing special about this current team," Johnson said.Did Johnson take a jibe at Stuart Broad for his comments on Australia?Johnson’s comments aim to take a dig at former England pacer Stuart Broad, who questioned the Australian team’s form before the start of Ashes 2025/26.Broad stated that the Australian team heading into the Ashes is their weakest since the 2010 tour, and in contrast, England have the strongest Test team touring Australia since 2010 (the last time they defeated Australia in Australia).Also Read: Stephen Fleming Shuts Door For Ben Stokes' England ReturnHere's what Broad said on For the Love of Cricket Podcast on BBC Sounds:"Australia have to be massive favourites. The question really was 'Which team's under the most pressure?' Well, Australia are under the most pressure because they're expected to win. They're brilliant at home."But they've got question marks over their team and question marks over [the fitness of] captain [Pat Cummins].""You wouldn't be outlandish in thinking - it's actually not an opinion, it's a fact - it's probably the worst Australian team since 2010 when England last won, and it's the best English team since 2010," he further added.When Johnson triggered England's mental weaknessBefore the Ashes 2013, Johnson had already given a warning to the England batters that he would expose them with a barrage of bouncers and fiery deliveries.Interestingly, the left-arm seamer did live up to his words as he wreaked havoc and made the English batters dance to his tune. Australia clean swept the Ashes 5-0, and the credit should be given to the pacer, who bagged 37 wickets, with an average of 13.97.Almost all the top seven English batters were exposed by Johnson’s bouncers, and it was as if the Australian pacer had entered their heads. In the aftermath of the series, a couple of England players took a mental break (including Jonathan Trott), while many played their last-ever Test match for their nation as one bowler destroyed an entire team.Also Read: SRH Star Added To Australia ODI Squad vs South Africa, Spencer Johnson Sent To India
