[ad_1]
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Michael Clarke called the Australian sports journalist a "title that goes after the cowards" in a speech on social media after the broadcaster linked the Cape falsification scandal to cultural mistakes during his captain career.
The journalist Gerard Whateley said during his show on local radio SEN that Australia had become "the most despised team of world cricket … a scourge that is part of the legacy of Clarke ".
gi
Clarke, who led the team from 2011 to 2015, defended his captain's record in a long tirade on Twitter.
"I played to win, but I respected the rules of the game and the same degree of aggression as the other international teams against which I had played," he wrote.
"My conduct as an honest and respectful captain has never been questioned, sanctioned or fined except when I fought for George Bailey while he was a victim. intimidation by an adversary, "he wrote.
Clarke was fined for asking British pacemaker James Anderson to "prepare for a … broken arm" during a test of the 2014-15 Ashes series, but still maintained that it was in reaction to the threat of Anderson against Australian drummer Bailey.
Clarke reiterated his attack on Whateley on the radio on Thursday, saying it was "irrelevant".
"Trying to blame me for cheating in South Africa is a shame," he added.
The balloon falsification scandal in March resulted in long suspensions for former captain Steve Smith, vice-captain David Warner and drummer Cameron Cameron, and sparked criticism in the men's team's culture and the governing body, Cricket Australia.
Under Tim Paine, Smith's substitute as captain of the test camp, Australia has committed to being less aggressive on the playing field, a position that has caused derision from Clarke and many former players.
While the four-game home series against India loomed on the horizon, Clarke had told local radio earlier this week that Australia would not win any match if it did not play "difficult cricket".
Paine, however, said his team would still play "that confident and aggressive cricket style that Australia wants to play".
"No one has spoken of being loved, certainly by opposition," Paine told ESPNcricinfo.
"We talked about the desire to win the trust of the Australian public and to make sure that you clearly want the Australian public and cricket fans to like or love the Australian test team."
(Report by Ian Ransom, edited by John O & # 39; Brien)
Source link
