Michael Clarke Wiki, Girlfriend, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Michael Clarke is a former Australian cricketer and captain who played many matches for them. He was regarded as one of the most talented allrounders in Australia. He performed magnificently in the 2007 World Cup and captained them to win the 2015 World Cup. He was one of the most athletic players and was famous for fielding equally with both hands. He is also regarded as an aggressive captain.

Wiki/Biography

Michael Clarke was born on Thursday, 2 April 1981 (age 42 years; as of 2023) in Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia. His zodiac sign is Aries. He gained an interest in cricket as his father had an indoor cricket centre where he practised regularly after coming back home from school. He attended Marsden Road Public School in his hometown and studied at Westfields Sports High School in Sydney later. He was selected for the prestigious Australian Cricket Academy scholarship for 1999-2000. He left his schooling midway through the 11th standard to pursue a career in cricket.

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 5′ 9″

Weight (approx.): 75 kg

Hair Colour: Light Brown

Eye Colour: Blue

Body Measurements (approx.): Chest 40″, Waist 32″, Biceps 15″

Family

He was born into a middle-class family.

Parents & Siblings

His father’s name is Les Clarke, and his mother’s name is Debbie Clarke. His mother worked in a bank for almost 30 days. He has a sister named Leanne Clarke.

Wife & Children

He got married to model and businesswoman Kyly Boldy on 15 May 2012 in a private ceremony at Wolgan Valley Resort in New South Wales, Australia, which was attended by 70 people including friends and family. They became parents to a daughter named Kelsey Lee in December 2015. They announced their separation on 12 February 2020 and said that they had separated 5 months earlier. It was alleged that Clarke had an extra-marital affair in 2018 with his then-personal assistant Sasha Armstrong who was working for him since 2014 as Clarke’s photos emerged in which he was seen hanging out with Sasha on a yacht. His divorce settlement was AU $40 million (INR 192 crores). ^[1]Now To Love ^[2]Zee News

Relationships/Affairs

Michael Clarke started dating model Lara Bingle in 2007. They got engaged to each other in early 2008 before splitting up in March 2010 after AFL footballer Brendan Fevola leaked a nude photo of her taken in a shower during their affair in 2006. ^[3]Australian Broadcasting Corporation

He started dating businesswoman Pip Edwards in June 2020 and broke up in February 2021; however, they again dated each other before splitting up in December 2021. ^[4]PerthNow

In August 2022, he started dating an Interior designer Jade Yarbrough, who is the sister of Jasmine, the wife of the co-host of Channel Nine’s Today program, Karl Stefanovic. on 10 January 2023, videos emerged of Clarke in a public spat with Jade in Noosa park on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast where Stefanovic was also present after Jade saw some text messages on Clarke’s phone which he sent to his ex-girlfriend Pip Edwards and slapped Clarke. ^[5]The Guardian ^[6]Sky News Australia

Signature

Career

Domestic

He played for the Western Suburbs District Cricket Club based in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He made his debut for the New South Wales against the touring Indian team at Sydney Cricket Ground in December 1999. He captained Australia’s under-19 team in the under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2000. In 2002, he joined the Ramsbottom Cricket Club in English club cricket and became the first player in the Lancashire league to hit a double century.

International

Test

Michael Clarke played his debut test match on 6 October 2004 against India at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, India and scored a century with 151 runs in the first innings. In November 2004, he took 6 wickets for 9 runs in the second innings of the test match against India at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. In November 2004, he scored 141 runs in the first innings of the test match against New Zealand at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane. In the second test of the 2006-07 Ashes series at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, he scored 124 runs in the first innings, and in the third test of the same series at WACA Ground, Perth, he scored 135 runs not out in the second innings. In November 2007, he scored 145 not out in the first innings of the test match against Sri Lanka at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane. In January 2008, he took 3 wickets for 5 runs in the second innings of the test match against India at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. In January 2008, he scored 118 runs in the first innings of the test match against India at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. In May 2008, he scored 110 runs in the first innings of the test match against West Indies at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua. In October 2008, he scored 112 runs in the first innings of the test match against India at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi. In November 2008, he scored 110 runs in the first innings of the test match against New Zealand at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. In January 2009, he scored 138 runs in the first innings of the test match against South Africa at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. In the second test of the 2009 Ashes series at Lord’s, London, he scored 136 runs in the second innings, and in the third test of the same series at Edgbaston, Birmingham, he scored 103 runs not out in the second innings. In January 2010, he scored 166 runs in the first innings of the test match against Pakistan at Bellerive Oval, Hobart. In March 2010, he scored 168 runs in the first innings of the test match against New Zealand at Basin Reserve, Wellington. In September 2011, he scored 112 runs in the second innings of the test match against Sri Lanka at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo. In November 2011, he scored 151 runs in the first innings of the test match against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town. In December 2011, he scored 139 runs in the first innings of the test match against New Zealand at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane. In the second test of the 2011-12 series against India at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, he scored 329 runs not out in the first innings, which was his highest test score, and in the fourth test of the same series at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, he scored 210 runs in the first innings.

In the first test of the 2012 series against South Africa at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane, he scored 259 runs not out in the first innings, and in the second test of the same series at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, he 230 runs in the first innings. In April 2012, he took 5 wickets for 86 runs in the second innings of the test match against West Indies at Windsor Park, Roseau, Dominica. In December 2012, he scored 106 runs in the first innings of the test match against Sri Lanka at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne. In February 2013, he scored 130 runs in the first innings of the test match against India at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. In August 2013, he scored 187 runs in the first innings of the test match against England at Old Trafford, Manchester. In the first test of the 2013-14 Ashes series at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane, he scored 113 runs in the second innings, and in the second test of the same series at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, he scored 148 runs in the first innings. In March 2014, he scored 161 runs not out in the first innings of the test match against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town. In December 2014, he scored 128 runs in the first innings of the test match against India at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. He played his last match on 20 August 2015 against England at Kennington Oval, London. He scored more than 1000 runs in a calendar year in four separate years including 1063 runs in 2008, 1042 runs in 2009, 1595 runs in 2012, and 1093 runs in 2013. He won 7 Man of the Match awards in his test career. He scored more than 1000 runs on two grounds which include Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane, Australia and Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia. He scored more than 1000 runs against three countries which include the maximum number of runs against England as he scored 2241 runs in 35 matches against them followed by 2049 runs against India, and 1487 runs against South Africa. His best average was against Sri Lanka as he scored 746 runs at an average of 74.60.

ODI

He played his debut ODI match on 19 January 2003 against England at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide and scored 39 runs not out. He made his first ODI half-century on 21 May 2003 when he scored 75 runs not out against West Indies at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia. On 1 November 2003, he took 4 wickets for 42 runs against India at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. On 22 February 2004, he took 5 wickets for 35 runs against Sri Lanka at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Dambulla. He made his first ODI century on 29 May 2004 when he scored 105 runs out against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club, Harare. On 16 January 2005, he scored 97 runs against Pakistan at Bellerive Oval, Hobart, and scored 103 runs not out against them on 23 January 2005 at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. On 30 June 2005, he scored 80 runs not out against Bangladesh at St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury. On 7 December 2005, he scored 82 runs not out against New Zealand at Sky Stadium, Wellington. On 10 February 2006, he scored 80 runs against Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. On 12 September 2006, he scored 81 runs against West Indies at Kinrara Academy Oval, Kuala Lumpur. On 21 January 2007, he scored 75 runs against New Zealand at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. He also helped Australia to win the 2006 Champions Trophy held in India. On 29 September 2007, he scored 130 runs against India at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. On 6 February 2009, he scored 98 runs against New Zealand at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne. On 1 May 2009, he scored 100 runs not out against Pakistan at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi.  On 26 January 2010, he scored 80 runs against Pakistan at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. On 22 June 2010, he scored 87 runs not out against England at The Rose Bowl, Southampton. On 30 June 2010, he scored 99 runs not out against England at Kennington Oval, London. On 20 October 2010, he scored 111 runs not out against India at Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. On 2 February 2011, he scored 82 runs against England at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. On 9 April 2011, he scored 101 runs against Bangladesh at Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur, Dhaka. On 6 March 2012, he scored 117 runs against Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval, Adelaide. On 8 September 2013, he scored 105 runs against England at Old Trafford, Manchester. On 31 August 2014, he scored 68 runs not out against Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club, Harare. He played his last ODI match on 29 March 2015 which was the final of the 2015 ICC World Cup. He scored more than 1000 runs against three teams which include the maximum number of runs against England as he scored 1430 runs against them followed by 1279 runs against Sri Lanka, and 1018 runs against New Zealand. He won 13 Man of the Match awards in his ODI career. He scored more than 1000 runs at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia.

2007, 2011, & 2015 ICC 50-over World Cup

Michael Clarke played in three 50-over ICC World Cups in 2007, 2011, and 2015. In the 2007 World Cup held in West Indies, he emerged as the second-highest runscorer for Australia with 436 runs in 11 matches at an average of 87.20 and also took 2 wickets in the tournament. He scored 93 runs not out in the group stage match against the Netherlands at Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts on 18 March 2007. He scored 92 runs in the group-stage match against South Africa at Warner Park, Basseterre, St Kitts on 24 March 2007. In the semifinal match against South Africa on 25 April 2007 at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia, he scored 60 runs not out to help Australia win the match and advance into the final. In the final match against Sri Lanka, he scored 8 runs not out and took two wickets including the important wicket of Sanath Jayasuriya helping Australia to clinch the Trophy. In the 2011 World Cup held in India, he was the highest runscorer for Australia with 233 runs in 7 matches at an average of 77.67. He scored 58 runs not out in the group stage match against Zimbabwe at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 21 February 2011. On 13 March 2011, he scored 93 runs in the group stage match against Kenya at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. In the quarterfinal match against India at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on 24 March 2011, he scored 8 runs. India defeated Australia by 5 wickets, and Australia was eliminated from the 2011 World Cup. In the 2015 World Cup held in Australia, he scored 219 runs in 7 matches at an average of 36.50 and took 1 wicket. In the group stage match against Sri Lanka at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney on 8 March 2015, he scored 68 runs. In the final match against New Zealand at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne on 29 March 2015, he scored 74 runs to help Australia win the match and become the world champion.

T20I

He played his debut T20I match on 17 February 2005 against New Zealand at Eden Park, Auckland and scored 7 runs. He made his maiden and only T20I half-century on 28 February 2010 when he scored 67 runs against New Zealand at AMI Stadium, Christchurch. He played his last T20I match on 31 October 2010 against Sri Lanka at WACA Ground, Perth. He won one Man of the Match award in his T20I career.

2007 and 2009 T20 World Cup

In the 2007 T20 World Cup held in South Africa, he scored 3 runs in 5 matches at an average of 1.50 and took 2 wickets. Australia lost in the semi-final match against India at Kingsmead, Durban on 22 September 2007 by 15 runs in which he scored 3 runs, and Australia was eliminated from the tournament. In the 2009 T20 World Cup held in England, he made 13 runs in 2 matches at an average of 6.50 and took 1 wicket. Australia could not advance to the semi-final stage of the tournament.

Vice-Captaincy & Captaincy

He became Australia’s vice-captain after Adam Gilchrist’s retirement in April 2008. He became the 43rd captain of Australia in both, tests and ODIs after Ricky Ponting retired after the ICC World Cup 2011. Australia played 47 test matches under his captaincy, winning 24 and losing 16, 74 ODI matches, winning 50 and losing 21, and 18 T20I matches, winning 12 and losing 5. He led Australia to win the 2015 50-over ICC World Cup under his captaincy. Many Australian players, including Mitchell Johnson, Michael Hussey, and Simon Katich, criticised his captaincy.

Indian Premier League (IPL) & Big Bash League (BBL)

Michael Clarke played for Pune Chargers in the 2012 IPL season. He played in 6 matches and scored 98 runs with the highest score of 41 runs. In 2013, he was appointed as the captain of the Sydney Thunder in BBL; however, he never played for them due to injury and national team commitments.

County

In December 2003, he signed with the Hampshire County team as one of their overseas players in 2004.

Retirement

He retired from T20I on 7 January 2011 to focus on test and ODI formats. He retired from ODI after the 2015 World Cup. He retired from the test after the 2015 Ashes series.

Jersey Number

He played with jersey number 23 in international cricket which was given to him by Australian legendary cricketer Shane Warne. He played with jersey number 63 in New South Wales. He played with jersey number 7 in the Pune Warriors team in IPL.

Media

He worked as a cricket commentator for Nine’s Wide World of Sports show on Nine network between 2016 and 2018. In 2020, he began hosting the Big Sports Breakfast radio show.

Stats

Batting

Tests

• Matches: 115

• Innings: 198

• Not Outs: 22

• Ducks: 9

• Runs: 8643

• Balls Faced: 15456

• Average: 49.11

• Strike Rate: 55.92

• Highest Score: 329 runs not out

• Fours: 976

• Sixes: 38

• 50s: 27

• 100s: 28

• 200s: 4

• 300s: 1

ODIs

• Matches: 245

• Innings: 223

• Not Outs: 44

• Ducks: 10

• Runs: 7981

• Balls Faced: 10104

• Average: 44.59

• Strike Rate: 78.99

• Highest Score: 130

• Fours: 659

• Sixes: 53

• 50s: 58

• 100s: 8

T20Is

• Matches: 34

• Innings: 28

• Not Outs: 5

• Ducks: 2

• Runs: 488

• Balls Faced: 473

• Average: 21.22

• Strike Rate: 103.17

• Highest Score: 67

• Fours: 29

• Sixes: 10

• 50s: 1

Fielding & Bowling

Tests

• Matches: 115

• Innings: 198

• Catches: 134

• Most Catches in an Inning: 3

• Most Catches in a Match: 4

• Overs: 405.5

• Wickets Taken: 31

• Balls Bowled: 2435

• Runs Conceded: 1184

• Average: 38.19

• Strike Rate: 78.55

• Economy: 2.92

• Best Bowling Figures in an Inning: 6 wickets for 9 runs

• Best Bowling in a Match: 6 wickets for 9 runs

ODIs

• Matches: 245

• Innings: 223

• Catches: 106

• Most Catches in a Match: 4

• Overs: 430.5

• Wickets Taken: 57

• Balls Bowled: 2585

• Runs Conceded: 2146

• Average: 37.65

• Strike Rate: 45.35

• Economy: 4.98

• Best Bowling Figures in a Match: 5 wickets for 35 runs

T20Is

• Matches: 34

• Innings: 28

• Catches: 13

• Most Catches in a Match: 2

• Overs: 26

• Wickets Taken: 6

• Balls Bowled: 156

• Runs Conceded: 225

• Average: 37.50

• Strike Rate: 26.00

• Economy: 8.65

• Best Bowling Figures in a Match: 1 wicket for 2 runs

Records

• In 2012, he scored the 5th maximum number of runs (overall) and the maximum number of runs (1595 runs) by any Australian player in tests in a calendar year. In the same year, he also became the first player to score four double-centuries in tests in a calendar year.

• In November 2004, he became the first Australian batsman to score a century in a debut test on both, an Australian ground and a foreign ground. He scored 151 runs against India on his test debut in October 2004 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, India, and scored 141 runs in the test against New Zealand at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane in November 2004 which was his debut test on Australian soil.

• In January 2012, he made the highest partnership for the 4th wicket in tests at Adelaide Oval Ground, Adelaide, Australia, when he put up 386 runs with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting. He also put a partnership of 200 runs with Brad Haddin for the 6th wicket in December 2013, which became the highest partnership for the 6th wicket on the same ground in the test.

• In July 2009, he put up a partnership of 185 runs with Marcus North for the 5th wicket, which became the highest partnership for the 5th wicket at Edgbaston, Birmingham, England in the test.

• In October 2004, he put up a partnership of 167 runs with Adam Gilchrist for the 6th wicket, which became the highest partnership for the 6th wicket in the test at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, India.

• During his knock of 259 runs not out against South Africa at Brisbane Cricket Ground, Brisbane in November 2012, he put a partnership of 259 runs with Edward Cowan for the 4th wicket and a partnership of 228 runs with Michael Hussey for the 5th wicket, which became the highest partnerships for the 4th and 5th wicket in test at this ground.

• On 7 December 2015, he put up a partnership of 220 runs with Andrew Symonds against New Zealand, which became the highest partnership for Australia for the 5th wicket in ODI.

Injuries

At the age of 17, he was diagnosed with a career-threatening condition of three degenerative discs in his lower back, which restricted his back movement. He used the MedX machine, a machine designed by Arthur Jones, the former personal trainer of Arnold Schwarzenegger, to train his back throughout his career. During the third test match against South Africa at Cape Town in March 2014, he was hit on the shoulder, forearm, elbow, and helmet while batting and went on to make 161 runs not out which was described by many fans and cricketers as one of the most courageous knocks of his career. Then-Australia team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris later revealed that he batted with a fractured shoulder as scans done after the match showed a fracture near his shoulder joint. ^[7]Cricket Australia

In December 2014, his back injury flared up suddenly while he was batting against India in Adelaide which forced him to retire hurt at the score of 60 runs. ^[8]The Guardian During the same test, he injured his right hamstring while fielding which ousted him from the remainder of the series. He underwent surgery on the right tendon of his hamstring which was successful, and he got fit in time to lead Australia to win the 2015 ICC World Cup. ^[9]NDTV

Controversies

Sledging Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag’s revenge

In the 2004 series against India, Clarke tried to sledge Indian legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and said to him that he was too old. Virender Sehwag stood up to Clarke and asked his age to which he replied that he was 23 years old. Sehwag then said that Tendulkar had more tests and ODI centuries than his age which did not stop Clarke who kept on uttering sledges aimed at Tendulkar. Sehwag again stood up to him and asked him that he heard that Clarke was called Pup by his teammates to which Clarke replied in affirmative, and then Sehwag asked which breed he belonged to which silenced Clarke and Sehwag and Tendulkar started laughing. ^[10]DNA India

Fight with Simon Katich

In 2009, after Australia won against South Africa at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, he had a fight with Simon Katich. Clarke said in an interview that he booked a Sydney bar for his teammates and wanted the team song Under the Southern Cross I Stand to be sung at the earliest so that they could go to the bar. Michael Hussey was the leader to sing the song. Clarke admitted that he got impatient after the delay in singing the song and got into a scuffle with Katich. Katich grabbed Clarke by his collar before letting him go and Clarke left the dressing room after the incident. Katich later said publicly that Clarke was responsible for his eviction from the team when he became the captain of Australia. ^[11]Fox Sports

Sending Andrew Symonds back

It was reported in 2008 that the relations between Clarke and Symonds were not good. Symonds did not attend a team before the ODI series against Bangladesh and went fishing. When he came back to the team dressing room after fishing, Clarke sent him back home for not respecting the team rules. Before this incident, in June 2008, Clarke was at a restaurant in Barbados with West Indies legend Brian Lara when Symonds joined them with his girlfriend. Lara reminded them about a previous game in which Symonds hit the ball which hit Clarke’s leg, rebounded into the air and was caught out. During the game, Symonds walked off the ground saying to Clarke that he owed him a beer; however, upon hearing this at the restaurant, Symonds suddenly got angry and poured a glass of wine over Clarke’s head. Brian interfered between both, and Symonds left the restaurant in a rage. Clarke also wrote in his autobiography that their friendship got strained after his rise in the team as vice-captain as Symonds wanted to become vice-captain. ^[12]Fox Sports

Arguments with Selectors

His fights with selectors started way before he became a full-time captain of the Australian team. In 2008, before the T20I match against India at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia, he was approached by the on-duty selector Merv Hughes in the dressing room with a piece of paper which mentioned the sequence of batting order which the selectors wanted him to play with in the match; however, he tore the paper and told Merv that he would play as per his own strategy. He also spoke with then-head selector Andrew Hilditch who told him that he agreed with Clarke’s decisions. He also had arguments with the head selectors John Inverarity and Rod Marsh on various occasions. ^[13]Fox Sports

Homework gate

In the 4-match test series against India in India in 2013, after Australia lost two tests in Chennai and Hyderabad, Australian head coach Mickey Arthur gave a written assignment to Australian players to submit ideas about improving test performance in writing. Four players which included James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja, and Shane Watson did not submit the assignment following which they were suspended for one test and did not play in the third test of the series at Mohali which Australia lost. Clarke later said in an interview that various things had happened before that incident which led him to take a tough stance to discipline the players, and he never regretted the decision. ^[14]Outlook ^[15]Cricket Australia

Sledging England pacer James Anderson

During the opening test in the 2013 Ashes series at Brisbane, Michael Clarke sledged England pacer James Anderson who was getting ready to face Australian pacer, Mitchell Johnson. Apparently, he said that get ready for a broken arm and also used expletives. James Anderson did not like it and expressed his disliking to the sledging. After the match, Clarke said in an interview that he had heard a lot worse on a cricket field and respected English cricketers. He said,

Through my career, there has always been banter on the cricket field—and I cop as much as I give, that’s for sure. That’s part and parcel of the game…but all the England players know we certainly respect them, and we understand we have to be at our best to beat them. I’ve heard a lot worse said on a cricket field than what the Australia players or the England players said throughout this Test match.” ^[16]Bleacher Report

In his autobiography Jimmy: My Story which was released in 2012, Anderson mentioned another incident which happened after the second test of the 2006-07 Ashes series. He mentioned that Clarke was behaving arrogantly and kept to himself during the post-game drinking session. According to Anderson, he told Australian player Damien Martyn that he wanted to hit Clarke with his footpad. When Martyn told him to do it, he went to Clarke and cuffed him with the pad which generated a sound that caught everyone’s attention for a moment. ^[17]Wisden India

Sledging South African pacer Dale Steyn

In March 2014, Australia was playing against South Africa at Newlands, Cape Town, when he apparently called South African pacer Dale Steyn a cheat during the final overs on the 5th day of the test and got into a tense altercation with Steyn before both players were separated by the umpires. After Australia won the match, he shook hands with Steyn and also apologised to him before apologising again in public and regretting his decisions. Steyn later said in an interview that he never forgot Clarke and was hurt personally by his words. ^[18]Fox Sports ^[19]Cricket Australia

Animosity with Shane Watson

There were reports in the media in 2013 that Michael Clarke compared fellow Australian player Shane Watson’s influence over the Australian team to cancer. Michael said in an interview while promoting his autobiography My Story that he viewed a group of Australian players as a tumour which would turn into cancer if not fixed. Watson responded by saying that he was disappointed by Clarke’s comments as he was happily retired. ^[20]Fox Sports

Public fight with Ex-Girlfriend

In January 2023, a video emerged in which he was seen arguing in Noosa park on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on the night of 10 January 2023 with his girlfriend Jade Yarbrough who is an interior designer and the sister of Jasmine, the wife of Channel Nine’s Today program’s co-host, Karl Stefanovic. Apparently, the fight began when he was dining with his ex-girlfriend Jade, Karl, and celebrity accountant Anthony Bell at a beachside restaurant. It was reported that Jade was in contact with Clarke’s ex-girlfriend Pip Edwards. Jade was seen screaming at Clarke in the video, accusing him of cheating on her with Pip, and also slapping him. Clarke was seen shirtless and screaming at Jade and at Karl who was also present there. He later regretted his actions in an interview after the incident and said,

I’m absolutely gutted I’ve put people I hold in the highest regard in this position. My actions in the lead-up to this altercation were nothing short of shameful and regrettable. I own this fully and am the only one at fault.” ^[21]CNN-News18

It was reported that the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph paid less than AU $10,000 to buy the video. ^[22]The Sydney Morning Herald He and his girlfriend were fined for disrupting public conduct. ^[23]The New Zealand Herald After the incident became public, he lost a potential deal with the footwear and clothing brand R.M. Williams and a skincare brand. ^[24]Fox Sports He also lost his commentary contract for the Border Gavaskar Trophy between India and Australia in February 2023 worth $150,000 following which he was approached to work as a commentator in Pakistan Super League (PSL). ^[25]CNN-News18

Awards, Honours, Achievements

• Won Allan Border Medal four times in 2005, 2009, 2012, and 2013

• Named as 12th man in the Team of the Tournament by Cricinfo for the 2007 World Cup

• Won Men’s Test Player of the Year award by Cricket Australia in 2009, 2012, 2013, and 2014

• Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2010 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack

• Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for the year 2012 in 2013 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack

• Named captain of the World Test XI and ODI XI by the ICC in 2013 for his performances in 2012

• Named in Test XI of the year by Cricinfo for 2012 and 2013

• Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in 2013

• Cricketer of the Year by ICC in 2013

• Test Cricketer of the Year by ICC in 2013

• Appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2020 for distinguished service to cricket as a player at the national and international level, through leadership roles, and to the community

• Inducted as a Cricket NSW Life Member in September 2020

Bike Collection

He owns a few bikes including a Harley Davidson. In an article in 2015, he praised former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his love of bikes and further wrote that both of them have had a few discussions about bikes.

Car Collection

He is known for his love of cars and owns many cars including a Lexus. He has been a brand ambassador for Toyota and Genesis Motors Australia. ^[26]The National Collision Repairer

Assets/Properties

Michael Clarke is an investor in the real estate sector. He takes tips from the Australian billionaire James Packer, Anthony Bell of Bell Partners, his financial adviser of 15 years, and his close friend and the veteran banker, John Wylie. He bought a house on Fitzwilliam Road, Vaucluse, Sydney in 2014 with his ex-wife Kyly Boldy for AU $8.3 million, which he sold in February 2021 for AU $12 million. In November 2015, he bought a property in the new development Trinity Point in Lake Macquarie, Sydney, Australia. ^[27]Urban In September 2021, he bought a mansion styled in European theme with five bedrooms, heated limestone floors, a grand wrought-iron staircase, formal and informal living and dining rooms, a reading room, a Tuscan-style cabana, and a swimming pool for AU $13 million (INR 70 Crores) opposite Vaucluse House in Vaucluse, Sydney. ^[28]Australian Financial Review

Investments

In August 2018, he invested in a bitcoin trading firm Global Tech which closed down in November 2018. ^[29]The Sydney Morning Herald In July 2019, he invested in an Australian company named Respirin which makes an Asthma identification device named Vijing which also helps in its cure. ^[30]The New Indian Express In November 2021, he became an angel investor in the Australian Boutique Spirits (ABS), a family-owned Western Sydney distillery. ^[31]The CEO Magazine As of December 2019, his portfolio was AU $ 38 million. ^[32]Australian Financial Review

Salary

In November 2022, he earned AU $2.5 million from Cricket Australia. He also earned from personal sponsorships, endorsements and the IPL. ^[33]Fox Sports

Net Worth

His net worth was  AU $ 38 million in December 2019. ^[34]Australian Financial Review

Favourites

• Food: Mum’s Rissoles

• Actor: Denzel Washington

• Actress: Brittany Daniel

• Movie: Remember the Titans

• Colour: Red

Facts/Trivia

• His nicknames are Clarkey, Eminem, Pup, Nemo, and Top Dog.

• He has three tattoos including a tattoo on his right shoulder and biceps, a tattoo on his left forearm in the Arabic language and a tattoo on his abdomen.
  

  Michael Clarke’s tattoos

• He had a very close friendship with Australian cricketer Philip Hughes who was hit on the neck by a bouncer the New South Wales paceman Sean Abbott during a match in the Sheffield Trophy and died later at the age of 25. He called Phil a younger brother during his speech at Philip’s funeral. He also requested Cricket Australia to retire Philip’s ODI jersey number 64 which was accepted by the board. ^[35]The Guardian
  

  Michael Clarke (right) with Philip Hughes

• Michael Clarke has struggled with skin cancer since 2006. He was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2006. In 2019, he was diagnosed with three non-melanoma lesions and underwent surgery in September 2019. In 2010, he was appointed as an ambassador for the ICC Cancer Council and has spread awareness about cancer at various ICC tournaments and campaigns. ^[36]NDTV
  

  Michael Clarke showing stitches in his forehead after surgery to treat Skin Cancer

• On 11 October 2016, he released his autobiography My Story.
  

  Cover of Michael Clarke’s autobiography My Story

• He is fond of perfumes and deodorant sprays.

• He returned back midway from the Australian tour of New Zealand in 2010 to sort out his relationship problems with his then-girlfriend Lara Bingle and returned back to New Zealand two days later, after announcing his breakup with her.

• He had a very close friendship with Australian legendary spinner Shane Warne who described Clarke as one of the most talented cricketers when he was in his early playing days and also gave his jersey number 23 to Clarke. ^[37]Hindustan Times

• His first job was at the Kingsgrove Sports Centre in Sydney’s west which he joined to avoid his parent’s anger after he quit his studies in 11th standard. He earned a little over AU $140 per week.

• He was a brand ambassador for the watch brand Hublot and the car company Toyota.

• His daughter Kelsey Lee suffers from Asthma which was diagnosed when she suffered an Asthma attack at the age of three years. ^[38]The New Indian Express

• He likes to do motorcar racing.
• He and his ex-wife attended the same school Westfields Sports High School in Sydney; however, they did not know of each-other in school.