Johnson refutes head-butting Styris in Napier ODI

AUCKLAND - Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson has refused to accept the charge that he head-butted New Zealand middle order batsman Scott Styris during the first one-day international of this year’s Chappell-Hadlee series played at Napier.

ICC Match Referee Ranjan Madugalle fined Johnson 60 per cent of his match fee for the incident, which Johnson has accepted.

“The only thing I’m quite annoyed at is that it has been classed as a head butt. Really, it was just me and him coming together and there was contact. I’m not that silly. I’m not going to head butt someone with a helmet on,” Fox Sports quoted him, as saying.

“I think at that time Hadds (wicketkeeper Brad Haddin) saved me from it going any further. He pushed me out of the road. But look, there’s all that emotion between the teams, both sides were saying things and it got to the stage it did. Now, it’s out of the system and I’m pretty happy with where I am. There was nothing personal in it at all. The banter out there is fine,” he added.

Johnson shook hands with Styris immediately after the aggressive Kiwi hit the winning runs at Napier’s McLean Park. (ANI)