MITCHELL JOHNSON: Dennis Lillee mentored Mahli Beardman should not be on England white-ball tour

I met Mahli Beardman briefly at a cricket camp a couple years ago at Ern Halliday Recreation Camp.

He was too quick for many of the batsmen and there was some talk around him then. But what was nice to hear is that he was a down to earth country lad with a talent for bowling fast.

Very fast actually. Some around the WACA are saying he can now hit the high 140s at just 19.

You know Beardman has something unique when one of the greatest pacemen of all time and – still, to this day - the best fast bowling coach in cricket, Dennis Lillee, is involved.

The great man has come out of coaching retirement to mentor Beardman because he saw something special in him.

When Dennis gets a sniff of someone with genuine pace and senses the ability to grow their talent, he really is the right person to guide them. I was lucky enough to be one of those bowlers.

What I like about this link up is Dennis will work with Beardman on all facets. I’m sure there will have been some technical tweaks here and there, but it’s DK’s impact on toughness and the mental side of fast bowling that is key.

Along with how to set up batsmen and work them over. That was something I recall from a MRF pace bowling clinic when I was about 18.

The thing about a bowler’s relationship with DK is all he wants in return is for you to get the very best out of yourself.

Beardman’s priority this summer should be playing cricket and getting overs under his belt – and it does not matter where that is.

In fact, regardless of him being called into the national one-day squad in England, playing plenty of grade cricket in Perth would be ideal to build up his body away from the spotlight.

There is so much more pressure when you are wearing the Aussie colours. Honestly, I feel that leaving him to his path and not taking him to England would have better suited him.

But when someone so young is good enough to compete with the best and injuries and opportunities arise, it’s exciting. You don’t turn down an opportunity to play for your country.

At 19, Beardman has plenty of time. Where you can get yourself in trouble is when you start to think you have to have it all now.

Both the WA Cricket Association and Cricket Australia need to be on top of his management to make sure Beardman doesn’t do too much bowling without his body and action being strong enough to back it up game after game.

When bowlers first come into State cricket there can be a huge spike in the number of balls bowled at training and in games.

Pat Cummins got an early call-up to play Test cricket at 18 in 2011, when he was man of the match against South Africa, and then did not play his second Test match until 2017 due to injury.

Most fast bowlers go through back injuries at some stage, and everyone will be keen to avoid a repeat of that. Beardman needs to learn the difference between bowling through good pain (some muscle soreness) and bad pain. Lillie’s advice will help but also he will learn that along the way.

But as a fast bowler, or any bowler for that matter, the best learning comes by playing games.

While it was a surprise to see Beardman’s national call-up, it’s also a promising sign and we should see him make at least one appearance in the five-match series.

Just being around the Australian set-up would be a valuable opportunity. Beardman will learn by watching Mitchell Starc and how he goes about training and preparation. He will be able to see what international cricket is like first-hand and experience what it’s like playing in England with vocal crowds.

If you aspire to play Test cricket in the future, learning the one-day skills are very useful. A lot of it is part of what is needed in the Test arena anyway. You learn tactics, from field set-up to bowling change-ups, and when to do them and when not to.

So the one-day team is a great place for Beardman to start building a strong foundation to his international career and develop his skills away from the higher intensity of Test cricket.

All Beardman needs to think about this summer is bowling fast and enjoying the moment. He should look to keep things as simple as possible. Watch and learn what goes on in the teams he is part of and soak it all in.

Listen and learn from the experienced players, don’t be afraid to ask questions - even the ones you think might be silly. And when you get the chance to step up, do what you’ve already been doing that got you selected.

Above all, I’m just looking forward to seeing another fast bowler who can bowl 140kmh-plus and give it to batsmen. It’s great for the game and we all know seeing the stumps cartwheel out of the ground is better to watch than a six being hit.