CLARKEVOWS AUSTRALIA WILL BE READY FOR ASHES
LONDON, June 14, 2013 (AFP) - Australia captain Michael Clarke has insisted the side will put their off-field troubles behind them and be “100 percent ready for the Ashes” come next month's first Test against England.
The latest in a recent line of highprofile disciplinary problems saw opener David Warner suspended Thursday by Cricket Australia until the start of the first Test in Nottingham on July 10 after punching England batsman Joe Root in a Birmingham bar.Warner's assault took place in the early hours of Sunday morn- ing, not long after England had beaten Australia by a convincing 48run margin in their Champions Trophy opener at Edgbaston.
The incident came just three weeks after Warner was fined Aus$5,750 over an expletive-ridden Twitter tirade at two Australian cricket journalists.
In March, four Australia players were dropped by the team's South African coach Mickey Arthur for the third Test in India after failing to submit feedback requested by him. Australia lost the series 4-0.
Taken together, these incidents have raised questions about the conduct of the players, Arthur's regime and Australia's ability to avoid a third successive Test series defeat against arch-rivals England -- something that last happened in the 1950s.
However, Clarke -- speaking alongside Warner at a London news conference on Thursday -- insisted Australia were not a team in free fall.
“I think David knows how I feel about the culture of this Australian team and how important I feel the standards are in this Australian team,” said Clarke.
“We'll be 100 percent ready for the Ashes there's no
doubt about it.”Clarke added: “There is no good time to be dealing with this but this is part of what you do as leadership in this team.”Prior to his suspension, the 26-year-old Warner was omitted from the Australia side that played in the no result match against New Zealand at Edgbaston on Wednesday -- although he carried the drinks as 12th man.
That washout left Australia needing to beat Sri Lanka at The Oval on Monday to have any chance of qualifying for the Champions Trophy semi-finals.
“It's disappointing to have two incidents in a matter of months. I'm here to apologise for my actions,” said Warner, also fined Aus$11,500 (7,000, $11,000). “I've just got to move on and do everything I can to get picked for the first Test,” added Warner, who has made three centuries and seven fifties in 19 Tests. However, given he will now miss the rest of Australia's participation in the Champions Trophy, and their two first-class warm-up matches ahead of the Ashes, his chances of playing in the first Test are now slim at best.