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Michael Clarke is set to lose his Indian commentary role after his expletive-laden argument in Noosa, with the former Test captain in talks to take up a similar position in Pakistan instead.
The subject of headlines for the past week over his public spat with partner Jade Yarbrough, Clarke opted to stick to cricket on his return to Sydney breakfast radio on Monday.
Initially expected to talk on the matter when the incident broke last week, Clarke sat by as Big Sports Breakfast host Gerard Middleton was the only member to acknowledge it on Monday.
Middleton made the point that the issue was private, and the show wanted to move on from it.
“It is a private matter that Clarkey has been dealing with,” Middleton said early in the show.
“A very, very private matter that unfortunately was made public. There are a lot of factors at play here, and Clarkey made his statement last week. We’re moving on on the Big Sports Breakfast.”
Michael Clarke. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)
Middleton also said the show had received many text messages supporting Clarke, while others had been “sticking the boot in”.
In response, Clarke only entertained jokes about his problematic right hamstring after it was also injured in the argument with Yarbrough and her brother-in-law Karl Stefanovic.
Clarke and Yarbrough have both been fined by Queensland Police for public nuisance, after the expletive-laden argument.
The issue has also placed Clarke’s commentary contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India at risk, with officials there now understood to be pursuing other Australian talent in his place.
Clarke did, however, reveal on radio he had been contacted to commentate on Pakistan’s T20 league, as he praised the talent that will likely be on offer in the tournament.
Aside from that, Clarke kept his opinions to cricket matters on the field.
Steve Smith has delivered another Big Bash League masterclass, smashing 66 from 33 balls as the Sydney Sixers left the Hobart Hurricanes finals chances hanging by a thread.
The Sixers, who had already locked in second spot and a place in ‘the qualifier’ on Saturday against first-placed Perth, defended 7-180 in a 24-run win at Blundstone Arena on Monday night.
Smith, coming off back-to-back centuries, posted the fastest half century of his Twenty20 career.
He reached 50 from just 22 balls and cleared the boundary six times in total to move to the top of the six leaderboard for the tournament despite playing just four matches.
“I’m feeling really good. It’s been good fun batting up the top, the freedom to just go out and play,” Smith said.
“Just having the ability up the top to go out and play how I want to play and set the team up … I’ve enjoyed it. It’s obviously a different role, being up the top. But it’s a place I think that suits me.”
The Hurricanes remain in seventh spot on the ladder and must beat the Brisbane Heat on Wednesday and rely on other results going their way to make the top five.
Their chase never really got going, with Sixers’ quick Sean Abbott (2-32) becoming the first player to reach 150 BBL wickets when he removed Faheem Ashraf late in the innings.
Earlier, Smith came out all guns blazing, hitting a six off the fourth ball he faced before launching one Tim David delivery on to the roof.
He appeared on track to become the first player to notch three consecutive BBL centuries, before falling lbw to a Nathan Ellis full toss in the ninth over.
Former Australia wicketkeeper Brad Haddin called for national selectors to ensure Smith was in their best T20 side.
Smith played just one match for Australia in the most recent T20 World Cup on home soil, with the hosts failing to get past the group stage in their title defence.
“I don’t think you can not use someone in this sort of form. He’s only 33. He’s got another World Cup in him in the 20 over (format),” Haddin said during commentary on FoxCricket.
Smith will play in week one of the BBL finals series, which begins on Friday, before heading to India for Australia’s Test tour.
He had a life on 25 when Caleb Jewell parried a difficult chance over the boundary.
The Sixers lost momentum, and a clump of wickets, after Smith’s departure before Ben Dwarshuis chipped in with an important 14-ball 30 late in the innings.
English import Zak Crawley top-scored for Hobart with 49 from 45 balls, while Tim David showed some glimpses with 24 from 13.
“Our fielding, for starters, wasn’t great. That (dropped) catch off Smith, that’s big. The last few games we’ve just been losing wickets the whole way through,” Crawley said.
The head of Pakistani cricket has claimed Mickey Arthur is set to return as men’s head coach despite the former Australia coach pledging to remain at English county Derbyshire.
“I am personally in negotiations with Mickey and we have resolved 90 percent of issues,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Najam Sethi told a news conference on Monday.
“Hopefully, we will very soon share the news that Mickey will be joining us. “I’d like him to build his own team of coaches once he is here.”
Arthur would replace former spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who has reportedly decided against extending his contract with the PCB.
However, Arthur last month rejected a PCB approach to remain at Derbyshire, who he joined as head of cricket in November 2021.
He cited a desire to step off the year-round treadmill of the international circuit at the time. Last month he agreed to extend his contract in England until the end of the 2025 season.
The 54-year-old was in charge of Pakistan between 2016 and 2019 when they won the 2017 Champions Trophy and became the top-ranked T20 team in the world. Arthur has also coached South Africa and Sri Lanka.
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