Australia skipper, Michael Clarke, has vowed that his team will not cross the line of sledging at any cost in the upcoming Ashes series against their arch rivals England, in the latter’s den. Australia won the previous edition of this oldest cricketing rivalry in a splendid manner, whitewashing England 5-0 in 2013-2014 at home. In his first formal press conference regarding the series, Clarke told the reporters – “I’m confident the series will be played in the right spirit. Both teams will play hard. I know I probably say this every series — but we respect there’s a line you can’t cross. Both teams might ‘head-butt’ that line, but I’m confident we won’t overstep the mark.”
The last Ashes series was a voracious display by the Australian team, pumped with aggression. Clarke also regretted his encounter with England’s tail ender, James Anderson during the first test in Brisbane, in which Clarke had threatened him by saying, “get ready for a broken fucking arm.” However, the skipper was adamant on the style that his team will be adopting while fielding, adding, “I think that’s how we play our best. I think it’s a big part of the Australian way, but I think you also need to keep in mind there’s a line and not overstep that. As a captain, I’ll make sure I lead the way on that front, and I’m sure the boys will certainly follow.”
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Michael Clarke’s team has arrived in England after a tremendous display against West Indies, clinching the series 2-0. The team’s batting line-up is backed by the in-form vice-captain, Steven Smith, who is in an extra-ordinary form and has recently become the best test batsmen in ICC rankings. Clarke has brushed aside the doubts of former England off-spinner Graeme Swann who raised doubts regarding the success of the unorthodox batting style of Smith in England.
Quite interestingly, Australia hasn’t won any edition of the Ashes in England since 2001, losing thrice in 2005, 2009 & 2013. However, Clarke is pretty confident of getting positive output from the series which will kick-start on 8th of July in Cardiff!
