Former teammates clash over Oz’s non-aggression pact
Sydney:michaelclarkeandsimon Katich famously clashed physically in thedressingroomwhentheyweretest playersandthisweektheyhavebecome embroiled in a verbal disagreement over Australia’s commitment to be less aggressive on the pitch.
Clarke joined a chorus of former players who have criticised the new ethos propagated in the wake of March’s ball-tampering scandal, saying Australia’s chances of success would be compromised if their aggressive streak was tempered.
“You don’t need to be best mates with everyone. Australian cricket, I think, needs to stop worrying about being liked and start worrying about being respected,” former Australia captain Clarke told Macquarie Sports Radio.“playtoughaustraliancricket. Because whether we like it or not, that’s in our blood.
“If you try and walk away from it, we might be the most liked team in the world, we’re not going to win (anything). We won’t win a game. Boys and girls want to win.”
Katich, a former Test opener, has been touted as a candidate to join the CA board in the wake of a highly critical cultural review that forced the resignation of chairman David Peever. Among the findings of the Longstaff Review was that on-field abuse of opponents had been “normalised” and a culture of “winning without counting the cost” had been fostered in the Australian game.
Katich thought Clarke had missed the point.