Michael Clarke’s impending sanction from the International Cricket Council is unlikely to deter Australia from a plan of mental disintegration endorsed by coach Darren Lehmann.
Lehmann said he wanted his players to “be aggressive, without crossing the line”, and Australia are giving no indication they’ll tone down their sledging of England ahead of the second Ashes Test on December 5.
Clarke is to be fined 20 per cent of his match fee by the ICC after he was captured on a stump microphone telling England rival James Anderson to “get ready for a broken f***ing arm”, in an electric climax to the first Test.
The ICC have been accused of double standards by holding Clarke accountable because his sledge was broadcast on the Nine network, when numerous verbal stoushes throughout the match went unpunished.
Australia sledged England in the last series, despite going down 3-0 and it was Lehmann himself who inflamed the ongoing verbal war between the two sides when he called Stuart Broad a “cheat”.
Lehmann was charged by the ICC as Clarke is set to be, and David Warner has even admitted things might have gone too far at the Gabba after he was brandished “disrespectful” by England for calling Jonathan Trott “weak” in a press conference.
But Australia are unlikely to back down from a return to the days, when Steve Waugh was in charge, when players would get in the face of their under-siege opponents.
“I like them playing hard cricket. I like our boys being aggressive without crossing the line,” said Lehmann when asked if he encouraged the verbals.
“It will be always hard-fought between Australia and England. It certainly was in England. And has been over the years. If (someone) crosses the line the ICC will deal with it.”
Warner said his verbal tirade was no accident.
“I made those comments for a reason,” he said on Monday.
Both camps have stuck to the line of what happens on the field stays on the field, but former England player and commentator David Lloyd described Warner’s on-field sledging in particular as “nasty, horrible stuff.”
“We have the benefit of using a stump microphone on (UK television network) Sky which is not allowed to go to air and I have to say that some of the stuff that was going on there went too far,” he told the Daily Mail.
Cricketers’ Association boss Paul Marsh said he was disappointed Clarke was being sanctioned because broadcasters had failed in their duty to filter what comes through on the stump microphone.
“Michael has unfortunately been found guilty here based on something the public should never have heard,” Marsh said.
“I don’t want to limit this to Channel Nine … but swearing happens on the field and it’s disappointing there’s been another example of it coming into a broadcast when undertakings have been given that it won’t happen.
“I think some leniency could have been shown (by the ICC). The viewers hearing that is out of Michael’s control and it’s out of the ICC’s control.”
Nine commentator and Test great Ian Healy said umpires needed to play a more active role in keeping a lid on things on the field.
Healy pointed to a heated exchange between Shane Watson and Jonathan Trott as an example of Clarke not being on his own.
“I hope the umpire’s report was accurate and consistent with everything else that went on in the game,” he said.
“You just ask for consistency. The umpires heard it all.”
