Australia captain Michael Clarke’s press conference was almost over when a young voice from the second row piped up with some free advice on his batting technique.
“I’ve noticed something Michael, you’re pushing at the ball too much. What are you going to do about that?,” 17-year-old Geelong lad Daniel Brew inquired.
Brew had somehow evaded security staff and sat among the journalists at the indoor cricket nets at Hobart’s Bellerive Oval, enduring the first nine minutes of the press conference before taking his chance to make his feelings known.
Clarke, who endured a poor Ashes series and was booed by the MCG crowd during his innings of 36 off 57 balls in the first one-dayer against England last Sunday, put on a happy face.
“I’m pushing at the ball too much? You should be a batting coach,” Clarke smiled.
“What do you think I should do about it?”
Undaunted by Clarke’s invitation to continue the conversation, Daniel told Clarke he should “not reach for it so much”.
Clarke, still smiling, responded: “Okay I’ll try that today in the nets. Thank you.”
The team’s media man thought that might be a good time to end the press conference.
Clarke might just wave his bat at a certain section of the crowd if he can pull off a hard-hitting hundred on Friday.
