I wasn’t at Michael Clarke’s press conference after the latest loss to Pakistan, but I can imagine it…….
Journalist: Michael, do you think Australia has a problem with spin?
Michael Clarke: No way champ. That is rubbish. There are fewer sporting clubs in the world who deliver spin better than us. Tell me Michael Hussey is in bad form, and I’ll talk about what a calming influence he is on the dressing room. Tell me Simon Katich wants to kill me, and I’ll talk about how the competition for places in the side has never been harder. Tell me Andrew Symonds is a drunken buffoon and I’ll tell you about how it is great to have someone so relaxed to bring us down to earth. We excel at spin.
J: Sorry let me rephrase that, at playing spin?
MC: Shahid Afridi is a masterful spinner, he is probably the best spinner in the world at the moment.
J: Better than Murali?
MC: Oh yeah, way better. Murali is good, but these days he is easier to pick, and you can milk him.
J: in 2007 you said ‘Murali is the best spinner in that world by a country mile’.
MC: The thing about spin bowling is that it is all a form thing, Afridi just has it, no one could have played him today. I dare anyone to refute that with facts.
J: Australia also struggled against Harris, Botha, Van der Merwe, and Duminy.
MC: All champions of the game.
J: Van Der Merwe played his first game against you guys, how can…
MC: What you have to understand is that South Africa has always produced great spinners, this current batch is probably only comparable to the great Indian spin line ups and the South African Legspinners at the turn of the previous century.
J: Has Australia gotten worse against spin?
MC: No, the spinners have just got better. That happens, can’t be helped.
J: Except the Australian spinners.
MC: Yeah, they’re rubbish. Even Lara knows that.
You can find Jarrod at cricket with balls where he has a charity game for this years ashes.
