MELBOURNE - Aussie cricketer Mitchell Johnson’s mum Vikki Harber has lashed out at Cricket Australia for turning its back on parents in favour of flying over “bitchy” girlfriends to the games.

Harber, 45, also said that her once close relationship with her son has deteriorated ever since he started going out with his karate champ girlfriend Jessica Bratich.

“I get a text on Mother’s Day and a text on my birthday,” the Herald Sun quoted her as saying.

“The last time I actually spoke to him was when the beach cricket was here (and) Dennis Lillee told him he had to ring his mother, so Mitchell rang me that day.

“It has been like this since Jess came on the scene.

“Up until he met Jessica we were very close . . . but he hasn’t spent a night under my roof since he met Jessica,” she said.

Harber said that Cricket Australia had never offered her any opportunity to see her son play outside Brisbane.

“For the wives and the children I think it is great that they support them and send them over there, but who are these girlfriends? They are just girlfriends,” she said from Coolangatta.

“Mitch met Jess and since then she has flown off to South Africa, to England and the Bahamas. She gets all these trips, she gets flown there, accommodation, food and all of that,” she stated.

Johnson’s manager Sam Halvosen said that the bowler was aware of his mother’s comments, but did not want to discuss them.

And Kevin Johnson as backed his son, saying that partners on tour were “a good thing”.

“Like Jess said, they’re away for six months of the year so it’s a bit hard for them to be away from each other that whole time,” he added.

Cricket sources said that it was for the players to decide whom to invite on tour. (ANI)