Over the recent comments made by broadcaster and NSW board member Stuart Clark on the ABC, CA boss Todd Greenberg noted the attacks to be personal and banned the ABC from interviewing Australian players after the end of Day 3’s play at the SCG, for having crossed an invisible line that everybody knows is there.
Australia had one of the most exciting days on the field with the bat in this entire Ashes series, where two of their batters got to hundreds on the same day. However, after the flurry of runs, ABC cricket failed to get a bite from any of the Australian players due to a ban imposed by Cricket Australia.
Stuart Clark’s personal attack on the CA Head of cricket and Selector George Bailey
Stuart Clark, a former player for the Aussies and currently a broadcaster with ABC, questioned the capabilities of Chairman of Selectors George Bailey and especially had a direct personal attack aimed at CA head of cricket, James Allsopp.
He believed that they were not willing to stand up to Australia’s selection woes and claimed that Allsopp does not have the level to speak up in front of head coach Andrew McDonald or captain Steve Smith.
“James Allsopp, who runs cricket in Australia, the head of cricket, community cricket, is a grade club cricket coach that throws underarm balls to kids,” Clark said on the ABC.
“That’s what his background is. He’s a lovely guy, don’t get me wrong. But he now runs the whole of cricket. He can’t tell (coach) Andrew McDonald or (captain) Steve Smith what to do.
“Then you have George, who is the chairman of selectors. Does he have the gravitas or the leadership skills to tell Andrew McDonald and Steve Smith or Pat Cummins what to do? He should do, 100 percent, but I don’t think he does,” Clark added when he felt Bailey was not showing the urge to give directives to any of the Australian leaders.
ABC banned from player interview by Cricket Australia’s directive
On Tuesday, CA boss Todd Greenberg spoke with the broadcaster and Cricket NSW board member Stuart Clark, claiming that his comments, especially those on Allsopp, seemed to be very personal.
“When I see criticism of him (Allsopp), I think it touches on the personal criticism. I thought that was unwarranted,” the CA chief said, as quoted by Fox Cricket.
He added, “On this occasion, I thought he overstepped the mark by talking not just about the decisions, but individually about people. I thought that was personal. I said that to him.”
“When they got it right in Adelaide, I commended them,” Stuart Clark defends his actions on the ABC
“We spoke about it cordially. We obviously don’t agree, and that’s cool,” Clark said on the ABC about his discussions with Greenberg, but he immediately said that it is all right to have certain disagreements, but there is no disregard for each other. He, too, referred to Greenberg as his longtime friend.
“The other thing I wanted to say was when they got it right in Adelaide, I commended them.
“There are different times and different stages when we have been very complimentary … that has been missed,” said Stuart Clark, defending his comments on the ABC.
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