Mitchell Johnson opens up about his battle with the blues

Sydney, May 11 (ANI): Speaking up about the depth of his mental battles, Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson has revealed that he lost his love for the game and would have contemplated retirement had he not injured his toe.

Johnson's career has been put on hold since tearing ligaments in his big left toe while batting in Australia's Test victory over South Africa in Johannesburg last November.

He revealed that even a surprise visit from his wife Jessica Bratich Johnson in the lead up to that Test was not enough to lift him out of the doldrums, the AAP reports.

Johnson said: "Going into that Test in Jo'burg, I was unsure if I could perform to be honest. It was at that point where I really just wanted to get away from the game and step back from it," a candid Johnson said in Perth today.

"The injury did come at the right time. I'd probably lost a bit of interest in playing the game. If I didn't get the injury, if I kept going, I could have got dropped and that could have been it. That (retirement) could have been on the cards for sure.

"I guess being away from the media helped a little bit, not copping it day in, day out. So that's been a bit of a relief."

Johnson is confident those dark days are now behind him, saying he feels mentally and physically stronger than at any previous point in his career, The Age reports.

The 47-Test veteran will have the chance to prove his worth in Australia's one-day tour of England in June-July. (ANI)