By Tom James
July 13 2012

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has finally admitted that the taunts from the English Barmy Army did get to him during the Ashes 2010 battle, and it affected his performance on the field....

The left armer was subjected to some 20,000 baying English voices, every time he came into bowl at the MCG and in Sydney, with the song "He bowls to the left, he bowls the right, that Mitchell Johnson, his bowling is s****"

It was one of the most memorable actions from the strong English support, and now Johnson has owned up to the taunts getting to him.

"I think back then I let it affect me a lot," Johnson said.

"It's hard not to when that's all you can hear in the cricket ground - your name being sung, and the songs are very catchy"

"I was at that point in my career where I was letting things get to me - it was not necessarily just the crowd, it was everything."

He did conclude by trying to kid us that as England supporters, we somehow feared his bowling "I've learned to deal with it and I look at it as a reflection of my performances - they are threatened by me a little."

Still, it takes a brave man to admit what we all knew, whose guessing his admission will only lead to more ditty songs, if he takes up the challenge in 2013 with the back to back Ashes series.