Johnson toughs it out

Johnson: Mentally stronger

It was a good learning curve to go through all that and hopefully I've passed all that and next time I can be mentally stronger when I go over (to England), or even throughout these Test matches

Mitchell Johnson
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Mitchell Johnson believes he is mentally stronger after a tough Ashes series both on and off the field.

After being named player of the series against South Africa, the left-armer was seen as a key member of Ricky Ponting's side for the tour of England.

However Johnson struggled badly, the low point coming in the second Test at Lord's when he returned match figures of 3-200.

As well as a dip in form, the 28-year-old also had to cope with his mother Vikki Harber talking to tabloid newspapers about her feelings towards his fiancee, Jessica Bratich, as well as attacking Cricket Australia.

Mentally stronger

"I block things out pretty well normally but I think it was just the Ashes, the whole hype of it, and the personal things that came out," he said.

"Mentally I have learnt to be a lot stronger. I've just got to concentrate on what I'm doing out in the middle.

"It was a good learning curve to go through all that and hopefully I've passed all that and next time I can be mentally stronger when I go over (to England), or even throughout these Test matches."

"I guess it (the form slump) started off with the personal side of things - that really probably did get to me," Johnson added.

"I was probably denying it as well at the time, and copping it from the crowd didn't help.

"It was pretty amazing, it was something I didn't expect with all the media, how much there was on the personal side of things, and the crowd, just everything was full-on.

"It got technical as well because I was thinking about it, but in the end it was just more of a mental thing."

Johnson admits he was surprised to keep hold of his place during the Ashes, as he expected to be dropped in favour of Stuart Clark at Edgbaston.

Kept faith

Instead the selectors stuck by their man, and the Queenslander will be leading the Australian attack in the upcoming series against the West Indies.

"I definitely thought I wasn't going to play the Edgbaston Test," he acknowledged.

"I was quite nervous about it, but I'm glad I got that opportunity again, it shows you just can't take anything for granted.

"Who knows where I could have been now, I could have been back playing state cricket, which might not have been such a bad thing."