Michael Clarke will continue to encourage on-field aggression from his players going into Wednesday’s first Test in Cardiff, even though the Australian captain admits he overstepped the mark during the last Ashes series.
The issue of sledging has dominated the pre-series buildup and Clarke is happy to concede that his “get ready for a broken fucking arm” comment, which was directed to Jimmy Anderson in Brisbane during England’s 2013-14 tour, represents an example of taking things too far.
“I think I speak for all Australians, in that we have a brand of cricket that if we play that way we play our best,” said Clarke. “The way we have been brought up is to play tough competitive cricket on the field.
“But I certainly understand the rules and regulations of our game and where that line sits. I’ve made it very clear that in the last series if somebody overstepped that mark it was me.
“As captain of this team I need to be more disciplined, and I know I will be. I think the mutual respect is certainly there. England have a lot of experience and some fantastic players and they deserve that respect. The cricket will be tough on the field, but we’ll know there’s a line you can’t overstep.”
While opposite number Alastair Cook was keen to play down the fear factor associated with facing Mitchell Johnson, Clarke is tipping the left-armer to play a significant role in the series following his 37-wicket demolition job 18 months ago, claiming question marks over his ability to control the Dukes ball have fired him up further.
Clarke said: “Mitch is as ready as I’ve seen him, that’s for sure. He’s bowling as fast as I’ve faced in the nets. People doubt how well he can bowl in these conditions, and that’s given him that fire in his belly. Again it will come down to execution. If he can bowl the way he has bowled since we’ve landed in this country, I think he will have a huge impact.”
Australia will wait until the morning of the match to decide their XI, with Clarke admitting the Cardiff pitch, which was shorn of its green tinge on Tuesday morning, has reduced previous thoughts of playing a four-man pace attack. But he remains confident England, under new head coach Trevor Bayliss, will stick with the team that played in the back-to-back two-Test series with New Zealand.
Asked if securing a first Ashes win on English soil would cap his own CV, which includes the winter’s World Cup win, Clarke added: “I don’t think it’s about my CV or any individual player’s to be honest. As a team this is our next major challenge. It is no coincidence we haven’t won here since 2001. Beating England in their own back yard is extremely tough. We are excited by the challenge but we know it will be a tough five-Test series.”
