Sacked Arthur hits out at Watson and ‘big egos’
Sacked Australian coach Mickey Arthur admitted he "lost" Shane Watson, while criticising the team's young players for having "big egos" while earning "obscene amounts of money".
Sacked Australian coach Mickey Arthur yesterday admitted he "lost" Shane Watson, while criticising the team's young players for having "big egos" while earning "obscene amounts of money".
The South African has refrained from commenting since being dumped just weeks before the Ashes campaign against England, but in an interview with Sydney's he detailed a fractured relationship with his vice-captain.
My relationships were outstanding, except with Watson. He was one of the guys I lost. India was where it started going wrong, when we suspended those players
"My relationships were outstanding, except with Watson. He was one of the guys I lost," Arthur said. "India was where it started going wrong, when we suspended those players.
"If I sit back and think, 'would I have done it again?', well, I probably would. Because I believed so much in what we were trying to do."
In a shambolic test tour of India earlier this year that Australia lost 4-0, Watson, James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Usman Khawaja were all disciplined by Arthur after failing to submit feedback requested by team management. They were axed, and Watson was controversially sent home.
"I met with all our staff before I did it and our staff were adamant that was the right way to go," Arthur said. "I ended up making those decisions and then ended up bearing the brunt of them."
Arthur sued Cricket Australia for his job back or up to A$4 million (HK$28.4 million) in compensation, saying there had been a deliberate campaign against him. But he settled after "significantly reducing" his claim.
