Who is Aaron Johnson? Canada’s top-scorer against Pakistan
- By Web Desk -
- Jun 12, 2024
Aaron Johnson grabbed attention of cricket fans after he scored 52 off 44 balls for Canada during their game against Pakistan in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024.
Born in Jamaica, Aaron Johnson’s first introduction to cricket was at a very young age as he used to play the sport with his cousins on a farm.
He later made it to the reserves list of Jamaica’s first-class team, however, he never got the opportunity to play for the team.
The aggressive batter arrived in Canada in 2019 after securing a scholarship and became a Canadian citizen in 2022.
Read more: T20 World Cup 2024: Pakistan beat Canada to stay alive in tournament
Johnson has played for Shepherd’s Bush Cricket Club in Middlesex League along with a stint at British Columbia in Canada Cricket Club.
He made his international debut for Canada in 2022 in the Desert Cup against Bahrain and became an integral part of the team.
Aaron Johnson has since played 19 T20Is and has amassed 802 runs at an impressive average of 47.18 and a strike rate of 160.08.
He holds the record of most international centuries for Canada, having hit two tons in his career.
His first ton came against Oman while the second was against Panama.
Johnson was the highest run-getter for Canada in the T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier as he smashed 187 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 185.14.
He is also the fastest Canadian cricketer to surpass the 500-run mark and is ranked among the Top 100 batters in international cricket as per ICC.
During his time at Brampton Wolves in GT20 Canada 2023, Aaron Johnson built close relations with New Zealand all-rounder Colin de Grandhomme.
Speaking about his experience with de Grandhomme, he said, “One person, I’ve been closest to in that team was Colin de Grandhomme. He is such a humble person. He’s probably the most humble cricketer I have seen. It’s a great experience. These guys have loads of experience and they give you advice on how to go about certain stuff.”
Canada were defeated by Pakistan by seven wicket in their T20 World Cup 2024 game in New York on Tuesday.
After being put to bat first, Canada were restricted to 106 for seven in 20 overs.
Johnson was the highest run-getter for his team as he took on the pace-heavy Pakistan from the start of the inning.
While he scored 52 off 44, the Canadian opener could not get any support from other batters as Pakistan pace bowlers kept striking at intervals.
The Men in Green then chased down the target inside 18 overs while losing three wickets.