Spencer Johnson insists he’s happy to step aside when Australia’s first-choice bowlers return to the T20 team despite a breakout performance against Pakistan in Sydney.

Johnson claimed 5-26 from four overs on Saturday night, the best figures by a quick and only the sixth time an Australian man has taken a five-wicket haul in the format.

The South Australian consistently hurried the Pakistan batters, especially on balls short of a good length. His dismissal of Salman Ali Agha, which zipped off the wicket and just took the edge as it left the right-hander, was a fast bowler’s dream.

The 28-year-old now has 12 wickets from seven T20Is, with the big quick looking more comfortable at international level with each passing match.

But, as Australia build towards the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, Johnson says he doesn’t mind mixing the drinks should the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood be preferred.

The Aussies crashed out of the 2024 edition of the tournament in the West Indies before the semi-finals, losing crucial games to Afghanistan and eventual winner India.

“I don’t think so, they’re the big three,” Johnson replied when asked if it was time for the experienced fast bowlers to hand over the reins to the new battery of quicks.

“They’re unbelievably durable, and they’ve done it for so long. They’re definitely the benchmark.

“The play, travel, play, it’s not as easy as what it looks.

“It’s a credit to them and for how they have done it for 10 plus years. It’s amazing.

“They’re going to be here for a long time. They’re not going anywhere.”

After two heavy defeats to close out the ODI series where the Australian bowling group had low totals to defend, the second-string attack featuring Johnson, Xavier Bartlett and Nathan Ellis has delivered with aplomb in the T20s.

It speaks volumes of the country’s pace depth that they can fall back on the calibre of these players when the “big three” are unavailable.

Since Johnson announced himself with the Brisbane Heat in KFC BBL|13, it’s been two years of mixing it with the best: from the Hundred to the IPL and international cricket in South Africa and India.

And after beginning on Saturday with five wides down the leg-side and an off-side wide that was collected by Matt Short at first slip, he had to draw on all his experience to remain composed and focused.

“I’ve played enough T20 cricket to know the game,” Johnson said.

“Sometimes you can misexecute.

“But I knew tonight I still had three overs to hopefully bounce back, and was lucky enough to get a couple more wickets.

“(Marcus) Stoinis at mid-off or mid-on was great as well. Stoin was the messenger (for captain Josh Inglis), and he kept me calm after my first six, seven or eight balls, or whatever I bowled in that first over.”

It was Johnson’s first match back at the SCG since last season’s BBL final, where he took 4-26 in a player of the match performance against the Sydney Sixers.

After the final match of this series in Hobart on Monday, Johnson said he’s keen to put his hand up for selection in South Australia’s two remaining Sheffield Shield matches; a day-night match against Western Australia beginning November 23 and regular fixture against Tasmania starting on December 6.

Since recovering from a side strain picked up in September, Johnson says he now feels like his body is at a place where it could withstand the rigours of four-day cricket.

“Hopefully after this series I’ll go straight into a Shield game,” Johnson said.

“I feel like the body’s getting there. It’s taken its time.”

Australia v Pakistan T20Is 2024

November 14: Australia won by 29 runs at the Gabba

November 16: Australia won by 13 runs at the SCG

November 18: Bellerive Oval, Hobart, 7.00pm AEDT

All matches live and exclusive on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports

Australia T20 squad: Josh Inglis (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Tim David, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Aaron Hardie, Spencer Johnson, Glenn Maxwell, Josh Philippe, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa

Pakistan T20 squad: Muhammad Rizwan (c), Abbas Afridi, Agha Salman, Arafat Minhas, Babar Azam, Haris Rauf, Haseebullah Khan, Irfan Khan, Jahandad Khan, Naseem Shah, Omair Yousuf, Sahibzada Farhan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usman Khan.