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Michael Clarke has launched a scathing attack on former teammates Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds and slammed John Buchanan, saying his dog could have done as good a job as the former national coach.
The former captain used his Ashes Diary 2015, released this week, to square the ledger with members from Australia's glory era who took a public swipe at him after he announced his international retirement in August.
He described the "pot shots" thrown at him by Hayden and Symonds as a "low act", mounted a spirited defence of his leadership and contribution to Australian cricket and lambasted the media who had "smashed" him "for every failure of the team in the last 13 years".
Retiring Australian captain Michael Clarke of Australia is given a guard of honour as he leaves the ground.
While Clarke was careful to avoid publicly criticising players during his decorated 11-year international career, the gloves have come off in retirement.
Clarke is particularly upset former teammates had used his retirement to "publicly kick" him, suggesting the comments were motivated by publicity in an attempt to shore up their own media profile.
He savaged Symonds, with whom he was once close friends, after the all-rounder questioned Clarke's leadership style. "Andrew Symonds went on TV to criticise my leadership. I'm sorry, but he is not a person to judge anyone on leadership," Clarke wrote in a diary entry from the fifth Test of the Ashes. "This is a guy who turned up drunk to play for his country. It's pretty rich for him to be throwing rocks."
He hit back at Hayden's assertion Clarke had threatened to hand back his baggy green cap if asked to continue fielding at bat-pad by Ricky Ponting, saying it was a tongue-in-cheek comment that had been misunderstood by the former opener.
"I think I've shown over the past 12 years how much I've valued representing my country and how much my 389 baggy green means to me," Clarke wrote. "If Ricky had asked me to jump off the Harbour Bridge, I would have jumped. I loved playing for Australia that much."
Clarke hammered Buchanan, who presided over one of the most successful eras in Australian cricket, for alleging that the culture of the baggy green had deteriorated under his leadership.
"I don't think John knows a thing about the baggy green, having never worn one," Clarke wrote. "He's still living off the fact that he coached a team that anyone, even my dog Jerry, could have coached to world domination."
Clarke believed it was unfair the previous generation were still holding against him mistakes he had made as a 22-year-old in team of "wiser heads".
He took over when Australia was in disarray in the wake of the 2010-11 Ashes capitulation and though there were many lows - including the 2013 whitewash in India and homework scandal and subsequent Ashes defeat - there was also a lot of success under his watch. He said criticism of his leadership was "rough".
"Anyone hearing this commentary - and I've had to wear this kind of talk for a very long time - would think I've been the only problem with Australian cricket for the past 13 years," Clarke wrote.
"That's a tough rap for someone who has led this team to a World Cup victory at home, won a Test series against the best team in the world, South Africa, in South Africa won an Ashes 5-0, and in Tests has taken Australia from fifth to number one in the world."
"Any time we've lost, it's apparently been because of me - my personal life, my attitude, the way I've captained," Clarke wrote.
"Apparently I've been holding us back all along, and now that I'm leaving everyone will get along famously and the Australian team will never lose another game."
Clarke said the fierce criticism he received from the media in the wake of his retirement reaffirmed to him that he had made the right decision.http://m.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/m...gn_code=nocode&promote_channel=social_twitter
The former captain used his Ashes Diary 2015, released this week, to square the ledger with members from Australia's glory era who took a public swipe at him after he announced his international retirement in August.
He described the "pot shots" thrown at him by Hayden and Symonds as a "low act", mounted a spirited defence of his leadership and contribution to Australian cricket and lambasted the media who had "smashed" him "for every failure of the team in the last 13 years".
Retiring Australian captain Michael Clarke of Australia is given a guard of honour as he leaves the ground.
While Clarke was careful to avoid publicly criticising players during his decorated 11-year international career, the gloves have come off in retirement.
Clarke is particularly upset former teammates had used his retirement to "publicly kick" him, suggesting the comments were motivated by publicity in an attempt to shore up their own media profile.
He savaged Symonds, with whom he was once close friends, after the all-rounder questioned Clarke's leadership style. "Andrew Symonds went on TV to criticise my leadership. I'm sorry, but he is not a person to judge anyone on leadership," Clarke wrote in a diary entry from the fifth Test of the Ashes. "This is a guy who turned up drunk to play for his country. It's pretty rich for him to be throwing rocks."
He hit back at Hayden's assertion Clarke had threatened to hand back his baggy green cap if asked to continue fielding at bat-pad by Ricky Ponting, saying it was a tongue-in-cheek comment that had been misunderstood by the former opener.
"I think I've shown over the past 12 years how much I've valued representing my country and how much my 389 baggy green means to me," Clarke wrote. "If Ricky had asked me to jump off the Harbour Bridge, I would have jumped. I loved playing for Australia that much."
Clarke hammered Buchanan, who presided over one of the most successful eras in Australian cricket, for alleging that the culture of the baggy green had deteriorated under his leadership.
"I don't think John knows a thing about the baggy green, having never worn one," Clarke wrote. "He's still living off the fact that he coached a team that anyone, even my dog Jerry, could have coached to world domination."
Clarke believed it was unfair the previous generation were still holding against him mistakes he had made as a 22-year-old in team of "wiser heads".
He took over when Australia was in disarray in the wake of the 2010-11 Ashes capitulation and though there were many lows - including the 2013 whitewash in India and homework scandal and subsequent Ashes defeat - there was also a lot of success under his watch. He said criticism of his leadership was "rough".
"Anyone hearing this commentary - and I've had to wear this kind of talk for a very long time - would think I've been the only problem with Australian cricket for the past 13 years," Clarke wrote.
"That's a tough rap for someone who has led this team to a World Cup victory at home, won a Test series against the best team in the world, South Africa, in South Africa won an Ashes 5-0, and in Tests has taken Australia from fifth to number one in the world."
"Any time we've lost, it's apparently been because of me - my personal life, my attitude, the way I've captained," Clarke wrote.
"Apparently I've been holding us back all along, and now that I'm leaving everyone will get along famously and the Australian team will never lose another game."
Clarke said the fierce criticism he received from the media in the wake of his retirement reaffirmed to him that he had made the right decision.http://m.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/m...gn_code=nocode&promote_channel=social_twitter
I'd expect 99% of cricketers to write a book slagging everyone off after they've retired, maybe Misbah will be an exception but you never know..
I echoed similar sentiments of why Ponting was a match winner and captain, any tom dick and harry could captain that Australian side to victory because they were invincible.....................................
