Michael Clarke admits to using inappropriate language towards James Anderson
Australia’s captain Michael Clarke has admitted that he used ‘unacceptable’ language towards pace bowler James Anderson in the recently concluded Ashes series. Reports claim that Clarke asked Anderson to get ready for a broken f**kin’ arm during the first Test match.
"Maybe I hadn't said exactly what I said to James Anderson [previously], but I'd stuck up for my players on a number of occasions and it's never been picked up on the stump mic. Nobody has ever spoken about it," Clarke told cricket.com.au in an interview.
"And when I say I regret it, I regret the language I used and I regret that I said it over the stump mic.The last thing I want is for boys and girls watching cricket to be going and playing club cricket and saying things like that to opposition players. I think it's unacceptable that the Australian cricket captain is setting that example. But I don't regret standing up for George Bailey one bit,” Clarke added.
A regretful Clarke went on to say: "I don't regret being extremely honest with James Anderson and telling him what Mitchell Johnson's plan was. I don’t regret that, I just regret that everybody heard it and the language I used."
The 33-year-old dismissed rumours that he made the comment due to ill feelings between himself and Anderson.
"The media like to do up that we have history. The only history I have is that England kept beating us, and he [Anderson] was a part of England and I was part of Australia," Clarke said.