Clarke downplays Dar confrontation
Australia captain Michael Clarke reflected on a confrontational end to the Ashes series, after Sunday's rain-affected draw at The Oval in London capped a three-nil win for England.
Australia captain Michael Clarke reflected on a confrontational end to the Ashes series, after Sunday's rain-affected draw at The Oval in London capped a three-nil win for England.
Clarke gathered plenty of admirers on the back of a bold declaration on the fifth and final day, after day four was completely lost to rain. The move, however, almost backfired – as the hosts came very close to reaching the target.
Umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Aleem Dar, however, didn't allow the English the chance to chase the final 21 runs off four overs. Instead, bad light brought the five-match affair to its close.
"I can't remember what I said to him but I remember Aleem touching me, and I asked him politely to not touch me because if I touched him I'd be suspended for three matches," said Clarke.
"I just asked the question why we haven't got the meter out there and it took a few overs to get it out. That's all I can remember, coincidentally. From my point of view I have no issue, I just know a player is not allowed to touch an umpire, but for me personally I have no issue with it."
There was widespread disappointment – albeit not shared by the tourists – when the game was cut off so close to an unforgettable result, but Clarke suggested the abandonment could have come even earlier if previous light readings had been adhered to.
"Once they took the reading, I knew it was going to be darker than what it was in Manchester. I was batting at the time in Manchester and I knew it was going to be darker than what it was in Manchester," he added.
"There was no comparison. I'm not going to get into the numbers on the meters. I will probably get in trouble for it so I won't go into the number. For us, we just have to go by the umpires' call. If they think it is safe to keep playing then we keep playing.
"When you can see your own shadows, just going on what's happened in the past throughout this series, you know it's getting to around that time when umpires have consistently taken us off the field."
Latest
-
NewsEngland could stage remaining IPL games in September as counties contact ECB
It is believed the matches could be wrapped up in little over a fortnight if a model of two games a day and three on weekends was adopted.
-
NewsOn This Day in 1988 – Worcestershire’s Graeme Hick scores 405 in single innings
Hick set a 20th-century County Championship record six years before Brian Lara broke it with his 501 not out for Warwickshire.
-
NewsJofra Archer shows flashes of top form on return from injury
Archer continued his return to action in a Second XI County Championship match at Hove.
-
NewsChris Jordan says suspending IPL ‘the right call’ as he awaits return to England
There has already been plenty of debate over whether the tournament should have continued as long as it did during a public health emergency.
-
NewsOn this day in 2011: Alastair Cook was named as England’s new ODI captain
Cook replaced Andrew Strauss, who retired from one-day cricket, while Broad took over from Paul Collingwood.
-
NewsFormer Australian Test cricketer victim of targeted kidnapping, police say
MacGill played 44 Tests for Australia and took 208 wickets.
-
NewsEngland contigent start to return home after IPL postponed due to coronavirus
The majority of England’s players at the tournament are expected to fly home imminently.
-
NewsEnglish contingent aiming to secure flights home with IPL postponed due to Covid
Positive cases in three of the eight franchises effectively proved that the players’ bio-secure bubbles were no longer able to stave off the threat.
-
NewsQ&A: What’s happened to this year’s IPL and what does it all mean?
There are 11 English representatives still involved.
-
NewsIPL postponed with immediate effect amid rising coronavirus cases in India
The BCCI does “not want to compromise on the safety of the players, support staff and the other participants involved” in organising the tournament.