Do not force yourself into sledging: Michael Clarke

Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke and former wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin have warned the current Australian side about sledging against the South Africans in the upcoming Test series that is going to be played at Perth. Michael Clarke, who has been involved in very few disciplinary incidents went on to urge the Aussies not to sledge if they weren’t comfortable with the idea of doing so.

“You need to do what’s comfortable for you…if it doesn’t suit your personality then I wouldn’t try to be someone I’m not,” Clarke was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. “I don’t think you should force it,” he said.

Clarke also went on to reveal that he had stuck up for George Bailey a few times as well as James Patterson in various other incidents as well. “There were a couple of occasions where I did open my big mouth. The reason I did that with James Anderson was to stick up for George Bailey and the Dale Steyn one was sticking up for James Pattinson as well,” he said.

“But I shouldn’t have said a word, in both situations, there was no need for me to say anything,” he was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. Clarke went on to claim that over the course of his career he learnt that it was the performance that one needed to concentrate on and not the words.

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“There were a couple of occasions where I did open my big mouth. The reason I did that with James Anderson was to stick up for George Bailey and the Dale Steyn one was sticking up for James Pattinson as well,” he said.

Brad Haddin also went on to state, “But I shouldn’t have said a word, in both situations, there was no need for me to say anything,” he was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo. Clarke went on to claim that over the course of his career he learnt that it was the performance that one needed to concentrate on and not the words.

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