Australia coach Mickey Arthur has warned his players they must raise their game if they want to become the top-ranked team in Test cricket once more.
Preparations for tomorrow’s third Test against India have been overshadowed by the turmoil within the team which has dominated the headlines this week.
Shane Watson, James Pattinson, Usman Khawaja and Mitchell Johnson were axed from the team after failing to make a presentation on how the side could improve following the innings defeat in the second Test.
Vice-captain Watson has since flown home to be with his pregnant wife and is now considering his Test future.
Australia skipper Michael Clarke suggested the sanction was imposed for more than one breach of discipline, and Arthur has also shed a little more light on what he perceives to be the problems within his squad.
He said: “Being late for a meeting, high skinfolds [weight issues], wearing the wrong attire, back-chat or giving attitude are just some examples of these behavioural issues that have been addressed discreetly but continue to happen.
“If we’re deadly serious about getting back to No1 in the world, all players need to raise the bar and lift their game.
“If not, we must be content at being number three or four or five in world cricket because we won’t get any better. The players won’t learn and we’ll continue a vicious cycle.
“Let’s be absolutely clear. The decision to suspend Watson, Johnson, Pattinson and Khawaja for not adhering to a team request is the defining moment, but it has been a culmination of lots of small minor indiscretions that have built up to now.”
Former South Africa mentor Arthur also admitted the past two days had been the toughest of his 11-year coaching career.
“The media reaction to this decision was like none I’ve seen and has certainly divided opinion,” he said. “It is a strong message to everyone in Australian cricket that if you want to play for the Australian cricket team, then we demand excellence. Corner-cutting or arriving with a bad attitude will no longer be tolerated.
“We want to be the Spanish football team, Manchester United or McLaren of world cricket.”
Meanwhile, Clarke remains hopeful Watson will return for the fourth Test in Delhi.
Watson was originally meant to leave the touring party after the third Test, to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.
Read More
Clarke believes there is a chance Watson may be available for the fourth Test if the child arrives early and declared the 31-year-old remained the team’s vice-captain.
“I’ll be in contact with Cricket Australia . . . but looking at what’s happened through the Australian summer, one-day cricket, we haven’t appointed another vice-captain,” said Clarke on the Cricket Australia website.
“Shane Watson’s still the vice-captain for this tour and at this stage he’s gone home for the birth of his first child and hopefully we get him back for the fourth Test.”
