Darren Lehman and Michael Clarke have done plenty to restore the toughness and aura of the Australian cricket side, but if unchecked, they’ll also be responsible for overseeing a period in which that Australian side earns little respect.
An otherwise fun and robust Test series played in this country earlier this year, which ended in an Australian triumph also left bitter tastes in the mouths of many of the South African players following some nasty ‘verbal’ exchanges between various players. Among those confrontations was an incident between Clarke and Dale Steyn in the last session of the Newlands Test which infuriated Steyn, while many of the other South African players, also subjected to abuse, lost plenty of respect for their opponents that afternoon.
The matter was reignited in Harare at the weekend following South Africa’s victory over the Australians in the final of the Triangular series.
Steyn was asked about his relationship with Clarke and said the following: “I haven’t really spoken to him much since then to be honest. I don’t take many things personally, but what he did say to me I did take personally.
“I know he apologised in the media and I should be playing this down. But the day he comes and shakes my hand and says I really mean what I said and behaves like the way he should, maybe then I will (forgive him). But for right now, he’s not here, so I’ll wait until I get to Australia.”
Under Lehman and Clarke the Australian cricket team seem determined (on the field at least) to put forward a macho and intimidating front that, unfortunately, gets misinterpreted by players, including Clarke.
Clarke’s team have become famous for; ‘Get ready for a broken f**king arm,’ or players howling and barking at batsmen, more so than their – playing – performances.
“As always with the Aussies, it was quite verbal out there,” Faf du Plessis wrote in his column about Saturday’s match.
I happen to like a few verbal exchanges. And look, South African players down the years have hardly been angels themselves in the heat of battle. However, this Australian side is getting a bad reputation, their insults are nasty and personal. Their successes – whitewashing England and then beating Test cricket’s No1 team in their own backyard – have been notable, but still limited (only two series wins does not a great side make).
The onus is on Lehman and Clarke to get their team to tone things down. It’s okay to be tough, it’s fine to get under the opposition’s skin with a few words, but there’s no need to be stupid, which unfortunately is what the Australian team looks like at the moment. - The Star