Mitchell Johnson bats for banned Marlon Samuels

New Delhi: West Indian all-rounder Marlon Samuels, who has been facing criticism from many quarters for his supposed lack of commitment towards the country, has got the backing from recently retired Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson.

Johnson asserted that the perception about the veteran West Indies batsman was not correct and said that he was a really nice guy to talk to, News.com.au reported.

The left-hander added that it was unfair to criticize Samuels when he decided to stay and fight it out in Test cricket unlike his fellow senior guys like Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, who prefer money-driven global Twenty20 tournaments over their country.

However, on Monday Samuels faced another blow as has been banned from bowling in international cricket for a period of 12 months by ICC for suspected bowling action.