Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke says he wouldn’t have attended the celebrated Allan Border Medal ceremony if he had the selection, even when he gained the highest gong.
Clarke was awarded the honour, which recognises Australia’s greatest participant of the season throughout all codecs, 4 instances — in 2005, 2009, 2012 and 2013.
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Since it was first awarded in 2000, Clarke and Ricky Ponting have gained the AB Medal 4 instances every — essentially the most out of any participant.
But Clarke has confessed that if he had his manner, he wouldn’t have turned as much as the presentation if it wasn’t obligatory.
The revelation emerged throughout a dialogue with NRL journalist Phil Rothfield in regards to the St George Illawarra Dragons’ end-of-season presentation, the place solely three gamers attended.
Rothfield stated the Dragons’ presentation was a shame and whereas Clarke agreed it wasn’t search for the membership, he may perceive why gamers selected to not attend.
“I’ll say this Buzz, they are not enjoyable nights,” Clarke stated on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast.
“I think of Allan Border Medal, right. The Allan Border Medal was compulsory, that’s why I went. If I was given the option, even winning the Allan Border Medal, I wouldn’t have went.
“Because it’s never the end of season for us. With cricket, it’s a TV program, so everything on there is done for television.
“And then you’ve got media around the whole time, so you can’t unwind and drink because there will be a photo or a video and someone being pissed or under the weather, and then you’ve got to read about that the next day.
“And then we generally had to go on tour or play a Test match, so we couldn’t really drink anyway.”
Rothfield responded: “You know what, you’re backing up my argument.
“You didn’t want to go, but you went because it was the Australian cricket team.”
Clarke hit again: “No, we went because it was compulsory. We weren’t given an option. It’s in our contract, we had to go.
“I think the Dragons, maybe they were given the option that they don’t need to go if they don’t want to. I’m still saying players shouldn’t gone.”
Rothfield then advised that not attending the Allan Border Medal would have been disrespectful to the Australian cricket legend.
“I’m really surprised you’re saying this, in that Allan Border …” Rothfield stated.
But Clarke rapidly interrupted: “It’s nothing to do with Allan Border, don’t go there Buzz.
“Allan Border’s a legend, he’s the godfather. I love AB. Don’t make it personal.
“I could go to Allan’s house and see him, I don’t need to go to Crown Casino to see him.
“Don’t make it personal, it’s nothing to do with the medal being called after AB.”
Rothfield laughed: “How did I know that you and me were going to have one final disagreement for the year?”
Dragons halfback Ben Hunt conceded he was disillusioned 27 Dragons gamers didn’t flip up on the awards evening.
The occasion was rescheduled to a later date and fell at a time when gamers had been on annual go away since their season ended on September 3.
“It was a bit disappointing, in a way,” he advised Channel 9.
“But a lot of players came to me when we found out about presentation night and mentioned they’d already booked holidays away.”
Originally printed as ‘Don’t go there’: Michael Clarke in tense alternate over stunning Allan Border Medal confession
