Australian cricket stars Pat Cummins and Steve Smith saw the funny side of a risque prank at Michael Clarke’s expense during a glitzy bash in Melbourne.
The cricket world came together on Wednesday to celebrate a hugely successful 2023 for the men’s and women’s teams, with Mitch Marsh walking away with the Allan Border Medal.
Steve Smith finished third in the voting for the illustrious award and when interviewed by presenter Ian Higgins of The Grade Cricketer podcast, he was blindsided by a joke aimed at former captain Clarke.
Higgins reminded Smith that he ranks up there with Clarke and Ricky Ponting as the greats of the game, before hitting him with the punch line.
“This year the winner actually gets a trip to Noosa with Karl Stefanovic, which is exciting,” Higgins said, referring to Clarke’s infamous public relationship with the TV star last year.
Smith flashed an awkward grin before the camera panned to Captain Pat Cummins, who couldn’t help but laugh.
Clarke was at the center of a blazing row with his ex-girlfriend Jade Yarbrough and her brother-in-law Karl Stefanovic in a public park in Noosa in December 2022.
In January 2023, extraordinary footage emerged of a heated argument between Clarke and Yarbrough while they were on holiday in Noosa.
In the video, which was filmed by an onlooker, Yarbrough accused Clarke of cheating on her with his ex, fashion designer Pip Edwards, on December 17.
He was also accused of messaging the co-founder of activewear label PE Nation and admitting that she was the “love of his life.”
All hell broke loose after Clarke, Today presenter Karl and his wife Jasmine, Jade’s sister, were dining at a beachside restaurant with accountant Anthony Bell.
The video starts with Yarbrough shouting at Clarke before she punches him in the face and pushes him away after the cricketer insists he didn’t cheat on her.
‘I am wrong? I’m fucking wrong! You are a liar. I can see everything. You called her,” she shouts, apparently referring to messages between Clarke and Edwards.
Clarke then tries to reassure Yarbrough that he did not sleep with Edwards on December 17, saying he was with Bell that night.
“Honey, you’re wrong, you’re wrong,” Clarke insists. “Honey, honey, Belly was at the house. I swear on my life, I swear on my life… That’s not true, it’s not true.’
He then swore on his daughter Kelsey Lee’s life that he had not cheated on her, but Yarbrough refused to believe Clarke’s desperate protests and claimed she had spoken to Pip.
Clarke and Yarbrough are no longer together and they have both worked hard this year to put the incident behind them.
Clarke was recently forced to confront her during an awkward interview with A Current Affair last month.
During a conversation with Simon Bouda, Clarke desperately tried to steer the chat towards a product he was trying to sell – a brand of lemon, lime and bitters from Australian company Bitters – but Bouda was determined to get answers about his chaotic personal life.
Finally, Clarke was cornered and spoke about his infamous brawl.
Clarke said he now viewed the incident as a “lesson.”
“Lessons, so many things in my day I call lessons,” he said.
‘Relationships are tough, behind closed doors, and there are a lot of things going on that we all have to deal with. A divorce, you know. Man, (the) things I’ve been through, so sad, so hard.
“I think the one thing is you just have to do the best you can: highs, lows, pros, cons, good times, hard times.
‘I’m just like everyone else. To this day, I’m still here doing my best and I hope that doesn’t change.’
More to follow.