Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke is causing a stir in the cricket world, but not for positive reasons. His involvement in the upcoming India vs Australia four-match Test series is in question after a video of him and his girlfriend circulated on social media. The video shows Clarke being slapped by Jade Yarbrough, who accuses him of cheating, which he denies.
The Daily Telegraph media outlet released a three-minute video that was shot from a distance and has unclear visuals but audible audio. Yarbrough is heard yelling about Clarke’s supposed relationship with his former girlfriend Pip Edwards, a well-known fashion designer. She can be heard questioning if Pip will be accompanying him to India the following month.
According to reports, Yarbrough’s sister Jasmine and her husband, media personality Karl Stefanovic, were also present with the couple. The group was apparently vacationing in Noosa, Queensland before the altercation occurred. Cricket Australia has yet to make a statement on the incident, but it is believed that they have begun an investigation.
According to Australian media reports, Clarke may lose his commentary role for the upcoming India vs Australia Test series because of the altercation. The series will be broadcast by Star Sports, which has the power to grant or terminate the contracts of all commentators, along with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The four-match Test series is set to begin on February 9th.
Clarke recently spoke with The Daily Telegraph about the incident and stated, “I’m deeply saddened that I’ve placed people I respect highly in this situation. My behavior leading up to the altercation was completely unacceptable and I regret it deeply. I take full responsibility for my actions and acknowledge that I am solely to blame.” During his career, the former cricketer represented Australia in 115 test matches, 245 one-day internationals, and 34 T20 internationals, accumulating 8643, 7981, and 488 runs respectively.