Clarke quits New Zealand tour for personal reasons
By Greg Buckle, 9 Mar 2010 Greg Buckle is a Roar Pro
Vice-captain Michael Clarke has quit Australia’s cricket tour of New Zealand and is heading home to Sydney for personal reasons.
A spokesman said Clarke had left the team hotel in Hamilton on the eve of tomorrow’s third one-day international against the Black Caps and it was not known when he would return.
Clarke’s fiancee Lara Bingle has announced she’s suing AFL player Brendan Fevola over a nude photo she claims Fevola took without her permission.
Woman’s Day last week published the photo of Bingle in the shower which was allegedly taken while she and Fevola were involved in a secret affair in 2006.
Bingle has opened up in a magazine interview about the release of the photo, saying she has been deeply humiliated.
Her celebrity agent Max Markson says reports that Bingle, 22, was paid $200,000 for the interview and photo shoot with Woman’s Day were “false”.
Bingle told the magazine the nude photo was taken without her permission and she felt exploited and compromised by its release.
The model says she is suing the footballer to restore her “dignity and self-respect” and to show it’s “not cool or funny” to distribute nude photos of anyone.
Bingle describes Clarke as amazing and says he has supported her in the “ups and downs that have happened in my life”.
Clarke’s departure leaves the Australian one-day squad down to just 12 players, with paceman Clint McKay and all-rounder Adam Voges vying for a place in the side with Clarke gone.
A replacement player may be called up from Australia for the final two one-day games in Auckland on Thursday and Wellington on Saturday, a spokesman said.
It’s not known if Clarke will return for the two-Test series starting on March 19.
The Test squad is due to be named later this week.
Clarke, 28, has endured an unhappy two weeks in New Zealand.
He captained the Australian Twenty20 side to a six-wicket victory in Wellington on February 26 before a loss in Christchurch two days later.
His fine innings of 67 in Christchurch ended on a sour note when he needed a boundary to win the match in regulation time but failed to find the rope, getting run out attempting a third run from the final ball of the 20th over.
The talented strokeplayer has failed to dominate the first two matches of the one-day international series against New Zealand, scoring 22 and 11.
Before the first ODI clash in Napier, Clarke was hounded by media at a training session, with one television cameraman following him off the training field from close range despite being told he wasn’t allowed on the oval.
The local media then demanded interviews with Clarke while he was still participating in Australia’s training session in the nets.
Clarke sometimes donned a cap out in public but wore a brave smile in the past week and did his best to appear bright and chirpy despite Bingle’s dramas.
The stylish batsman was runner-up to Shane Watson in February 2010 in the prestigious Allan Border Medal for Australia’s player of the year, and is captain of the national T20 side which will contest the World Cup in the West Indies in April-May.
Test vice-captain Clarke is regarded as the likely successor to Ricky Ponting when Ponting’s reign ends as Australian skipper.
A spokesman for Clarke’s management company in Sydney was unavailable for comment on Monday night.
It’s not known if Clarke’s trip back home is related to any family illness, particularly with father Les who has battled cancer in recent years.
Clarke skipped the Indian Premier League in 2008 to take a break from the game and spend time with his dad.
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sledgeross said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:15am | Report comment
Sorry Clarke, dont bother going back, you are not needed. Either you want to play for your country or you dont, its simple. Just because your missus is looking for some work and decides to contrive a media story, hire an infamous publicist and milk the attention is no reason to desert your team mates.
Onceinawhile said | March 9th 2010 @ 7:38am | Report comment
I’m hoping for his sake it’s not related to the bingster, coz if it is…………. Mannnnnnnnn seriously, nut up Pup!
Al said | March 9th 2010 @ 10:28am | Report comment
And people want this bloke to be the next test captain.
Olaf said | March 9th 2010 @ 12:01pm | Report comment
I heard a rumor that Clarke has a bung back and he will never be captain because he doesn’t have much cricket left in him.
If this is so, it seems he and Bingle are trying to cement a post cricket and modelling career in the media which is failing miserably and bringing the game into disrepute.
If the rumor is tosh – I dont know what to make of this whole drama.
fatboi said | March 9th 2010 @ 12:45pm | Report comment
he needs to go home and cuddle his bingle baby. please grow up lara bingle.
you had fun having a fling with a famous married footballer. well done. and you
invited him to your home and while u were showering away his stains on your body,
he happended to take a quick snap of you.
you are to blame young lady. you were not exploited u are not a victim. grow up and
get over it
James said | March 9th 2010 @ 12:53pm | Report comment
I’d quit a Test series for Lara.
preciouspress said | March 9th 2010 @ 2:49pm | Report comment
Like in many other careers success in cricket can be enhanced or hindered by the player’s domestic situation. Clarke’s and Bingle’s careers and aspirations seem as thought they might be incompatible. They made a choice now it’s up to them to make it work or move on. I wish them luck.
Working Class Rugger said | March 9th 2010 @ 2:59pm | Report comment
I find the whole affair rather odd. First the much publicised tantrum at the SCG and then in the week after signings with a new manager nude photos appear. Bang next a $200,000 tell all story. Now Clark returning from NZ. Anyone else smell a rat. Sure she looks great on his arm but Clark needs to sit back and realise exactly what pays for his and her’s lifestyle. Then ring her tell her to grow up and get over it . Turn up play NZ. If she doesn’t like it then tell her to take a long walk. No loss. She doesn’t even like Cricket anyway if reports are right. Sure she’ll find another sportsman to enchance her public profile.
JK said | March 9th 2010 @ 3:04pm | Report comment
Clarkie, where the bloody hell are ya……would love to have been a fly on the wall when Katich heard!
katzilla said | March 9th 2010 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
I bet hes come home to break up with her. His old man would have told him to do it in the flesh rather by phone so hes come home to do what needs to be done.
Feel sorry for the guy but thats what happens when you get engaged to a groupie.
James said | March 9th 2010 @ 3:20pm | Report comment
If it was Warnie he would have dumped her by text. Standards are slipping in the Australian cricket team
katzilla said | March 9th 2010 @ 3:31pm | Report comment
Its only fair that you should break the way you met
Ricky J said | March 9th 2010 @ 4:23pm | Report comment
I’d agree with that.
Tom said | March 9th 2010 @ 4:34pm | Report comment
Yeah all this image consciousness amongst the current crop of players is rubbish. Whenever Warnie had an affair or whatever, people just had a chuckle and said ‘good old Warnie’. Now they have agents and try to suppress all the gossip.
AndyS said | March 9th 2010 @ 3:44pm | Report comment
He’s probably just flying back to make sure his stash of nude pics are safe…