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Australian domestic news

Johnson stays with Queensland despite move

Cricinfo staff

July 4, 2008

	Mitchell Johnson is keen to stay in Queensland colours © Getty Images

Mitchell Johnson will remain a Queensland player despite his decision to move from Brisbane to Perth. Johnson is keen to live in Western Australia to be closer to his partner Jessica Bratich, a Perth-based karate champion, but he did not want to switch to the Warriors.

Queensland Cricket has agreed to the move, which leaves Johnson in a similar position to his Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who lives in Sydney but plays for Tasmania when not required for international duty. Johnson will probably have less state responsibilities in coming seasons as he is a first-choice player in the Test and ODI side and he believes the arrangement will be workable.

"I'm really pleased we've been able to reach this outcome," Johnson said. "I'm looking forward to the move to Perth but didn't want to cut my ties with the Bulls. I'm confident the arrangement will be beneficial for both parties."

Trevor Barsby, the Queensland coach, said there was no reason Johnson had to live in Brisbane to remain a Bulls player. "We spoke to the players about it and they were very open to the idea," Barsby said. "As Andy Bichel pointed out, we are in a highly professional era that brings with it different issues, and we should support our international players the best we can. Mitch can bunk down at my place for the week before a game if he happens to come back."

Graham Dixon, the CEO of Queensland Cricket, said Johnson had informed the state of his intention to move and discussed with them the possibility of occasional commutes across the country. Dixon said there was no way Queensland wanted to lose Johnson.

"He is a Queenslander through and through," Dixon said. "Having come through our development system, he is a most popular player within our organisation and we certainly want to keep him in the maroon cap whenever possible. We anticipate we would still see Mitchell on a semi-regular basis because he has close family ties in Townsville, and we are happy to go with the long-distance relationship."

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