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Clarke will be 'copping it'

Clarke will be 'copping it'

03/16/2010 06:18:40 PM

The Australians are keen to move on from the media furore surrounding Michael Clarke and focus on the cricket with the first Test against New Zealand beginning in Wellington on Friday.

Clarke trained with his team-mates on Tuesday for the first time since rejoining the squad in New Zealand after his return to Sydney and the very public break-up with fiancée Lara Bingle.

But Australia coach Tim Nielsen said despite the intense media scrutiny surrounding his vice-captain it was very much business as usual.

"We'll have a chat about it all," Nielsen said.

"There's no real effect. They're professional sportsmen. He's a player going through a personal issue like players tend to any day of the week. It's just that we happen to do it in a public forum, pretty much.

"We're all supporting him and he's comfortable where he's at. We're looking forward to getting into the cricket and getting back to what we do best."

Nielsen said he had no reservations about playing Clarke at the Basin Reserve.

"No not at all. We deal with these things every day. Every day of the week there is something going on it’s just that most of the time you guys don't know about it," the coach added.

"We deal with it and move on. That's life. Michael will prepare as he always does with the group supporting him as they always do.

"Our real job is to make sure that come Friday no distractions get in the way and we play our best cricket.

"We make sure today we're clear in how we want to prepare for this game, the challenges that New Zealand will throw at us as a cricket team and then all of us individually and as a group ensure we do our best preparation moving forward.

"Once we get to Friday the game's on and away we go."

New Zealand's supporter's group, the Beige Brigade have promised Clarke will be 'copping it' at the Basin Reserve but New Zealand bowler Chris Martin said they had no sledges planned for the batsman.

"I think he treats people he plays against with respect and that should be the way he gets treated as well. It's pretty much how it works," said the 35-year-old.
But Martin conceded the fans would not see it that way.

"The fans will probably have a ball. But that's nothing to do with us either. I know I've stood on a few boundaries in Australia and been ripped to shreds so it's nothing new on either side of the Tasman. It's actually something that's quite humorous."

 
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

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