"I think I need to be the mediator" - Ricky Ponting on the escalating feud between Mitchell Johnson and David Warner 

Australian cricket has been rocked recently by a series of back-and-forth comments from Mitchell Johnson and David Warner, which stemmed from the latter's desire to play a farewell series on home soil.

Despite a string of developments since then, which includes a text message from Warner to Johnson as well as the involvement of chief selector George Bailey, the matter is far from settled. Johnson had written in a column:

“As we prepare for David Warner’s farewell series, can somebody please tell me why? Why a struggling Test opener gets to nominate his own retirement date? And why a player at the centre of one of the biggest scandals in Australian cricket history warrants a hero’s send-off?”

As a result, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, who shared the dressing room with both Warner and Johnson, has stepped up to play the mediator between the two parties.

Opining that the players need to settle their issues in a face-to-face interaction rather than throwing jibes at each other through statements in the media, Ponting told Sunrise on Thursday:

“I have to get in between these two guys at some stage ... I think I need to be the mediator and get them both in a room and let them have it out rather than playing it out in the media. They’re both pretty feisty characters and we know this issue that’s come up now goes back six or eight months, back to the Ashes selection."

He continued:

“That’s where it all started. It sounds like an issue that’s gone on without either of them sitting down and having a face-to-face conversation. I’d like to see that happen.”

The ongoing feud has also brought out comments from Warner's manager as well as several former Australian players. Glenn Maxwell was also recently asked about the volatile situation but refused to comment.

"He just wants to do line up next week in Perth" - Ricky Ponting sides with David Warner

David Warner's red-ball exploits in recent times have been rather inconsistent. While he scored a double ton against South Africa and notched a crucial fifty against India in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, he also had a lukewarm Ashes series.

He retained his place in the squad for the upcoming home series against Pakistan, which will be his final red-ball assignment.

Speaking from the opening batter's perspective, Ponting said:

“He is not the one that’s coming out saying all this stuff about a farewell tour, he just wants to do line up next week in Perth in that Test match and score some runs and he’s made it clear he wants to finish off in Sydney."

Will the veteran opener sign off from Test cricket on a high? Let us know what you think.