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Michael Clarke and Lara Bingle - Source: Getty Images -
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Australian vice captain Michael Clarke is expected to be named
in the Test squad to face New Zealand despite the continuing dramas
surrounding his fiancee Lara Bingle.
Clarke's dramatic exit from the limited overs segment of the tour
was the talk of the nation on Tuesday, highlighting the intrusion
of the personal on his professional life and casting something of a
shadow over his seemingly inevitable ascension to the Test
captaincy.
As of Tuesday evening, Clarke was unsure of when he would be
re-joining the team, though he is understandably keen to get back
in time to take part in the Test series.
The first Test begins at Wellington's Basin Reserve from March
19.
"Michael has arrived home to support Lara through this difficult
time," said his manager Chris White.
The announcement of the squad to play two Tests against the Kiwis
had been pencilled in for Tuesday, before Clarke's unexpected dash
home to Sydney from New Zealand put matters on hold.
Clarke's exit from New Zealand was so hurried that some of his
teammates were unaware he had left, having spoken only to senior
figures including captain Ricky Ponting and coach Tim
Nielsen.
Bingle's only public actions on Tuesday were to post the message
"Wish you were here..." on the social networking site Twitter
before she was seen flipping the bird to camera crews hovering
around the couple's Bondi apartment in mid-afternoon.
The episode followed on from legal action Bingle has decided to
take against her former love interest Brendan Fevola, the AFL
player who took a nude photo of her during a brief relationship
that has since circulated widely among footballers and been
published in a women's magazine.
Former Australian batsman Mark Waugh said Clarke was forging a
delicate path between the personal and the professional, and said
further episodes such as this would not enhance his standing.
"He's had to leave the tour, so (his personal life) has encroached
on his cricket. That's not the way you want to be playing your
cricket and living your life," Waugh told foxsports.com.au.
"It is difficult being a high-profile sportsman having a
high-profile partner.
"You're in the spotlight all the time, for good and bad
reasons.
"It is difficult to handle, especially when the press is
negative.
"It is not easy for anybody, and negative publicity has got to
affect you at some stage.
"When it's your wife or partner involved, it's difficult to
handle. Hopefully there's not too many more dramas in the
future."
