Clarke's helping hand for Warne
Peter English
25-Feb-2013
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The Sydney Morning Herald’s Alex Brown speaks to Michael Clarke about his role as a counsellor for Shane Warne during the 2005 Ashes.
"I had seen it at Hampshire, but during the Ashes it was a lot bigger," Clarke recalled, revealing for the first time his conversations with Warne. "No matter what he went through off the field, he never, ever let the team down on the field. He had nights when he slept two hours, and then we'd lose the toss and bowl and he'd be getting five wickets on the first day of a Test match. And then he'd make runs. Not many guys are that strong mentally. It's an unbelievable aspect that he brings to the team.
"For me, I was just there to listen about what was going on in his personal life. I was just there to be his friend. How could I give advice? I don't know the pain he's feeling. He's 36, 11 years older than me. It's probably something I learned from him. He's a great listener. If I go to him with a problem, he will sit for hours and not say a word. I didn't know the answers."
Peter English is former Australasia editor of ESPNcricinfo