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Aaron Johnson returned as Canada's finest batter in Match 22 of T20 World Cup 2024 against Pakistan on Tuesday, June 11, in New York. He scored 52 off 44, with four fours and as many sixes, to help the struggling Canadian side post a respectable total of 106/7.
Johnson's impressive innings was ended by Naseem Shah, who breached the batter's defense, as he couldn't judge the bounce off the surface. However, the 33-year-old became the first batter in the tournament to hit a half-century on a difficult New York pitch.
Making his debut for Canada in 2022, Johnson has garnered 1,000 runs in the international circuit. In particular, the prolific batter holds an average of over 45 in T20Is. He came into this tournament after emerging as the top batter with 124 runs in the bilateral series against the USA.
On that note, let's take a look at the five interesting facts about the Canadian opener.
#1 Made it to the reserves of the Jamaica first-class team
Born in Jamaica, Aaron Johnson was raised at a farm and played cricket with his cousins.
The talented batter shone bright in club cricket and was named in the reserves of the Jamaican first-class team. However, he never got a chance to represent the team due to the presence of opening batters like Chadwick Walton and John Campbell, who were also playing for the Caribbean team.
#2 Moved to Canada in 2019
After limited opportunities in the West Indies, Aaron Johnson decided to shift his base to Canada. He managed to fetch a scholarship from Keyano College and secured a Canadian citizenship after three-and-a-half-years.
Prior to getting citizenship, Johnson played for the Shepherd's Bush Cricket Club in the Middlesex League and British Columbia team in Canada Club cricket.
#3 First Canadian batter to hit multiple T20I centuries
After making his T20I debut in the Desert Cup against Bahrain in 2022, it took only two matches for Aaron Johnson to make a strong statement. He slammed a mesmerizing 109* off 69 balls, with nine fours and eight sixes against Oman.
Johnson's second T20I century came in October 2023, where he smoked 121* off 59 balls against Panama.
#4 Aaron Johnson played a key role to help Canada qualify for T20 World Cup
The 2023 ICC Men's T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier witnessed Aaron Johnson in top form. He was the team's leading run-getter in the tournament, with 187 runs in five innings at an average of 46.75 and a strike rate of 185.14.
Apart from his aforementioned 121*-run knock, he hit 47 off 19 against Cayman Islands as well. As a result, Canada went on to reach the regional final and beat Bermuda to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2024.
#5 Has a cordial relation with Colin de Grandhomme
Aaron Johnson played for the Brampton Wolves in the GT20 Canada 2023. He garnered 107 runs at a strike rate of 138.96, with a top score of 48*. During his time with the Wolves, Johnson spent a lot of time with former New Zealand all-rounder, Colin de Grandhomme.
Here's what Johnson told cricket.com about Grandomme's humble nature:
“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."
