Johnson might be rested after second ODI against Proteas to stay 'fresh' for WC

Australia ace paceman Mitchell Johnson has revealed that he might be rested after the second ODI against South Africa to keep him fresh for the Test series against India and next year's World Cup.

Johnson celebrated his ICC Cricketer of the Year award by removing both the South African openers in the first ODI in Perth on Friday as Australia trotted to a 32-run win.

Johnson revealed that it looks like he would be staying in his home-town Perth with family following Sunday's second ODI at the WACA, Sport24 reported.

He said that the thing that he has learned over time is that he is 33 now and played a lot of one-day games for his country, which has been a great honour, and Test matches as well. He added that with what they have got coming up it is a lot of cricket.

So, the paceman said that for him to be at his best and bowling fast, he needs to be as fresh as possible.

Johnson said that it's hard, he wants to play every game he can for his country, but at the same time he wants to be playing at his best so whatever the selectors and Cricket Australia wants him to do, he would go by them.

Johnson's absence would open the door for a variety of pacemen, including 23-year-old South Australian Kane Richardson, who bowled throughout Australia's 3-0 ODI sweep of Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates but was omitted for Perth in favour of seamers Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

The player likely to be most pleased about Johnson's absence, however, might be South African all-rounder Ryan McLaren, whose arm was broken by a vicious ball from the rampaging left-armer during a one-day match in Zimbabwe in September, the report added.