Michael Clarke calls Australian journalist a headline chasing coward

Michael Clarke lashed out at Australian journalist Gerald Wheatley who called the former captain a “great climate denier” and indirectly blamed him for the ball-tampering controversy that shook their cricket earlier this year. Wheatley on his radio show for SEN had criticized Clarke for his remarks on Australia’s non-aggression. The former cricketer wrote a response to him on social media and went on to call him a “headline chasing coward”.

The 37-year-old while talking to a reporter in Macquarie Sports Radio on Tuesday had said that Australian cricket should be concerned about being respected more than being liked. He had said that the team should continue to play tough Australian cricket as that is in their blood.

Clarke’s play bold advice

“Australian cricket I think need to stop worrying about being liked and start to worry about being respected. Play tough Australian cricket, because whether we like it or not, that is in our blood. If you try and walk away from it, yeah we might be the most liked team in the world, we’re not going to win s**t, we won’t win a game. All we can want to do is want to win,” Clarke had said.

Wheatley’s understanding of the subject:

Wheatley on his show responded to the cricketer turned commentator’s remarks and said, “In cricketing terms, Michael Clarke is proving himself the last of the great climate deniers. When the cultural review identified the phenomenon of the gilded bubble where elite cricketers existed in a parallel universe blessed with wealth and privilege oblivious to outside perception and influence, it should’ve posted a photo of the former captain at the bottom of the page.”

Clarke blasts Wheatley in response

Clarke in latest response published on Twitter wrote- “Attn: Gerald Wheatley I refer to your “read radio piece today” where you attacked my leadership, my integrity, my opinion on Australian Cricket needing to play tough but fair cricket and your statement that the Ball Tampering issue of earlier this year (some three years after my retirement) was my fault.

While facts don’t seem to play a role in your form of Journalism, in the interest of reporting the truth, hereunder are some items about what you said today, that the public ought to be made aware of just in case you are believed.”

“Fact: Under my leadership of the Test team, Australia was ranked No. 5 in the world and 18 months later we were No. 1, yet you made no criticism of me or our style of play then. Fact: In the process of getting to number 1, I played to win, but played by the rules of the game and to a similar level of aggression to the other international teams I played against,” he wrote.

“For Gerard Wheatley — to insinuate that I am responsible for the ball tampering issue makes him nothing more than a headline chasing coward,” Clarke added.

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from Australia vs India series, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.