Australia captain Michael Clarke: Phillip Hughes' death still hurts

Retiring: Clarke says Hughes's death hit him harder than he imagined
Michael Dodge/Getty Images
Tom Collomosse10 August 2015

Michael Clarke has revealed the death of Phillip Hughes affected him more than he imagined.

Clarke will lead Australia for the final time in next week’s Fifth Ashes Test at the Kia Oval, after he decided to quit the game when England regained the urn at Trent Bridge over the weekend.

Clarke rubbished rumours of disharmony within the Australia camp but spoke about the passing of Hughes, the batsman who died aged 25 last November after he was struck by a ball during a match in Australia.

Clarke said: “The part I didn’t expect was how hard it hit me, there’s no doubt I miss him every day. It still affects me personally but as an Australian sportsman, you need to be leading from the front and still performing and unfortunately I haven’t been able to do that.”

The 34-year-old Clarke, who will be replaced as captain by Steve Smith, called on his compatriots to continue to back the Australia side through the rebuilding job ahead.

“There’s going to be some tough times but the talent we have in the Australian sporting community is like no other. I think that we need to stick together and keep the faith.

“I can guarantee you, the feeling in this group is exceptional,” Clarke told Australia’s Triple M radio.

“There is no disharmony in this group whatsoever. The players are as tight as any team I’ve been a part of.”

Meanwhile, Joe Root said the pain of the 5-0 Ashes whitewash in Australia in 2013-14 had inspired England to victory this summer. The batsman has shone in the Series, scoring two centuries and two fifties. He said: “That was one of the things that drove us forward.

“Knowing what we went through there, all that hurt and pain, all the stuff we’ve had to overcome since then, I think the way we have handled ourselves has been brilliant and it’s shown by the performances we’ve put in on the field.

“That was a tough tour so when you get into a position of strength out in the middle and you know what it’s like to be on the wrong side of it, you want to make sure you drive it home.

“You want to make sure you’re not in that position again. That’s something that has always been in the back of my mind. It’s definitely one of the reasons why this is so enjoyable.”

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