Michael Clarke explains what Shane Warne REALLY thought of Mitchell Starc after the fast bowler shared his regret at not speaking to spin king about his harsh criticism
- Michael Clarke has disclosed what Shane Warne really thought of Mitch Starc
- The spin king regularly gave harsh criticism of the ‘soft’ fast bowler
- However, it has been revealed that Warne wanted to fix things before his death
- Starc expressed his regret at not getting that opportunity earlier this week
- Former Australia captain Clarke says that Warne ‘really liked’ the 32-year-old
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Michael Clarke has disclosed what Shane Warne truly thought of Mitchell Starc after the Australian quick expressed regret at not mending their frosty relationship before his death.
Ever since he broke onto the Test scene, Warne had been a harsh critic of the 32-year-old, describing his body language and performance as ‘soft’ back in 2014.
Starc has answered that criticism in emphatic style, and is on the cusp of becoming only the fifth Australian to take 300 Test wickets for his country.
Michael Clarke has disclosed what Shane Warne really thought of Mitchell Starc
Before his shock death earlier this year, Warne said in an unpublished interview that he would be happy to catch up and clear the air over a beer, and now former Australia captain Clarke has insisted that the spin king ‘really liked’ Starc.
‘I can tell you now. Warnie liked Starcy,’ he said via NewsCorp.
‘I’m going to reach out to Starcy because I don’t think Starcy realises that Warnie actually loved him. Really liked him, thought he had so many good things about his game.’
Clarke believes that Warne’s constant criticism was a form of tough love as he sought to inspire Starc to reach greater heights.
Warne was a regular critic of Starc and labelled him ‘soft’ during a Test match in 2014
However, Clarke says the spin king ‘really liked’ the 32-year-old fast bowler
‘Warnie just marked him hard. That’s all,’ Clarke said. ‘And I tell you, Warnie actually believed at times that him being so hard on him got the best out of him. He thought he was saying it as well to help Starcy.
‘I know he was hard on him. He did that with certain players, he’d pick them and wouldn’t let up and Starcy was probably one of those.
‘But I spoke to him about it at the time and he did not have any personal issue with Starccy at all. (He) met him a few times and thought he was absolutely fine.’
Starc said earlier this week: ‘The disappointing part, or the sad part, is that we never got to have that conversation.
‘I guess we’ll never know (whether it was personal).
‘I don’t know – I never got a phone call to take up that offer (of a beer). Hindsight is a wonderful thing.’
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