Arthur’s action not consistent with his words, says Haddin

In the wake of sacked coach Mickey Arthur’s explosive claims of infighting in the Australia cricket team, vice-captain Brad Haddin sought to clear the air saying the side was united in its goal of winning the ongoing Ashes series against England.

‘The dressing room is fine. I don’t know how many times we need to answer this. We’re all pretty excited to be in an Ashes campaign. (Coach) Darren’s (Lehmann) done a wonderful job, like all our staff and players,’ said Haddin, whose second innings 71 nearly led Australia to a stunning first Test win at Trent Bridge.

‘All the other stuff that we can talk about is white noise so it’s not something that has affected the side at all,’ he added. Arthur has reportedly claimed skipper Michael Clarke had described teammate Shane Watson as a ‘cancer’ on the national cricket team.

Haddin questioned the timing of the claims made by Arthur, who in his departing press conference had talked about taking responsibility for the team’s performances. ‘I fail to see how this course of action is consistent with his words and I am disappointed that this has been released two days before such an important Test match,’ Haddin was quoted as saying by the Australian media.