Published: Jun 16, 2013, 04:57 PM (IST)
Edited: Jun 16, 2013, 04:57 PM (IST)
Relations between Shane Watson (above) and coach Mickey Arthur have not been cordial © Getty Images
Sydney: Jun 16, 2013
Australian coach Mickey Arthur has admitted that there is a divide in trust between former vice-captain Shane Watson and the leadership of the team heading into the Ashes.
Watson, who was suspended from the third Test in March’s tour of India, along with three other players — James Pattinson, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Johnson, for not submitting homework, was alleged to have taken umbrage at the way Arthur was handling opener David Warner’s disciplinary process, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.
Although Arthur dismissed the allegations, he admitted that Watson still had not regained complete trust in the way the team was being run after the India Tests, adding that they are working on decreasing the divide between Watson, captain Michael Clarke and himself.
Stating that Watson had no “massive view” on what Warner’s punishment should be for punching England batsman Joe Root at a Birmingham bar last weekend, Arthur further said that the tensions between Watson, Clarke and himself were “fixable”, adding that Watson has acted very professional in the way he has come back into the environment and approached the issues.
“We are continually working at that. And Shane is unbelievably professional and gets on with his business in a very professional way,” Arthur said.
“I don’t see it as anything particularly bad or anything that’s not fixable. Shane obviously lost a little bit of trust after India and we work on that every day. And Shane has been fantastic in the way he’s come back into the environment and approached that.
“I chat to Shane every day and we’ve been through it all. Guys know exactly what the punishments are. And like I said, we have a very solid process in place now.”
Playing down speculations about tensions existing within the team, Arthur said that the players are now focusing on for Monday’s pivotal group ICC Champions Trophy 2013 match against Sri Lanka at the Oval, and have put behind all the disrupting incidents behind.
Meanwhile, Clarke agreed with Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland that the five players present with Warner — Clint Mckay, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Marsh, Phillip Hughes and Glenn Maxwell — also deserved to feel guilty of letting down the team.
“To be out at that hour… Carrying on like we were celebrating [after a loss] — especially with the opposition — is not the right time or place to be having a few drinks,” Clarke said.
(With more inputs from ANI)
