Wage earners,
On the eve of the Perth Test match and the only thing you’ve been able to read on the back of the fishwraps this past week is one MJ Clarke blithering on about a preponderance of six to twelve month old babies, money, wives, fiancés, girlfriends, bits-on-the-side, pay, pay, pay, never ending travel, outrageous scheduling, burn-out, unreasonable sponsors demands, and how the IPL is going to change the world as we know it forever, even to the point of sounding the death knell for CA contracts [heaven forbid].
Clearly the bloke has far too much time on his hands.
When pressed, the Rt. Hon.Vice-Captain dismissed out of hand suggestions that what he was really saying is that elite cricketers should be paid more for doing less…oh deary, no…
Of course every man is entitled to his opinion but as The Great Ian Healy remarked… “perception is better than the truth in many cases”
According to the Daily Terror [so it must be right] Pup made “$312,200 in match payments in the last calendar year” [that for less than 85 days in the office mind you, and of course doesn’t include his CA contract money and only the good lord joisus knows how much cash he pulls in through sponsorship deals, although the Deputy Commissioner of Taxation would dearly like to know, you’d imagine].
The Terror went on to comment “it was enough to cover the $300,000 he outlaid to deliver an Aston Martin V8 Vantage to his fiancé Lara Bingle”.
A couple of years back Pup’s minders suggested that he lose the Ferrari and get himself a vehicle, any vehicle, manufactured by his sponsor Ford.
He complied, but obviously that advice doesn’t extend to the bride-to-be, and in any case for a man in his position, it’s probably best to be driven about, rather than drive yourself.
There’s no arguing that the kiddie is in fine form; indeed what he’s been doing lately quite likely qualifies as a purple patch.
Didn’t pick up the man-of-the-series award against the sheepshaggers for nothing.
After finding some touch on the sub-continent, his streaky 98 in Brisbane after being called on to save the test match counts as one of his best test match innings, while his well made chanceless 110 in Adelaide just put the issue of a favourable result beyond doubt.
Always mindful of the match situation, as is only right for any wannabe skipper.
But, after being felled in the WACA nets by a sharp one that hit him under the heart, the Seth Efreakens on a treacherous pitch out West will be a different bottle of mussels altogether.
