Former Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson says the team culture under former skipper Michael Clarke and coach Mickey Arthur, was "toxic".
Speaking to FoxSports prior to the release of his autobiography, Resiliant, Johnson said the team culture slowly crumbled under Clarke's leadership.
“The dynamics definitely changed (when Clarke took over Ponting). It became more groups in the team. It wasn’t a team as so. There was different little factions going on and it was very toxic,” Johnson said.
“It (the toxic culture) just built very slowly but everybody could see it, everybody could feel it.
“Nothing was being done at that time, so it wasn’t a very enjoyable place to be and you’re supposed to be enjoying yourself when you’re playing for your country.
“It was a pretty bad experience, bad time, a couple of us didn’t want to play. Even some of the young guys coming through could see it a mile away and they didn’t enjoy it, they said ‘state cricket’s so much more fun.’”
Clarke's recently published autobiography has caused a stir in the cricketing world, with the former captain detailing his infamous exchange with Simon Katich, while during a recent interview with 60 minutes, he admitted to describing former teammate Shane Watson as "like a tumour" in the Australian cricket team, resulting in a war of words between the pair.
