Called him a tumor, not cancer; Michael Clarke 'clears air' about Shane Watson

In a 60-minute interview to Channel Nine, Clarke spoke about many controversial incidents during his playing career.

The batsman admitted the blame over the 2009 notorious dressing room spat with Katich which resulted in Katich grabbing his throat. The incident happened after Australia’s victory over South Africa during which there was a disagreement about Australia’s victory song. Clarke wanted the song to be sung soon so that he could attend a function, but Katich wanted Clarke to stay on until the tune had been sung.

Clarke told Channel Nine, “I think a lot of us were getting wound up. So I think I had every reason to be pissed off. But I don't think my language was appropriate to Kato. It turned out, I found out four days later, that Matthew Hayden was going to retire after that Test match. So I think Haydos was pissed off as well that happened in his last Test."

Clarke also clarified about the incident with Shame Watson and denied calling him a ‘cancer’, as stated by Mickey Arther in the documents filed against Cricket Austrlia after his sacking in 2013.

"No, I didn't say that," Clarke said. "I said that there are a number of players or a group in this team at the moment that is like a tumour, and if we don't fix it, it's going to turn into a cancer."

On being asked if Watson was one of tho members that formed the “tumor”, Clarke promptly replied, "Shane was one of those players, yes."

Clarke also admitted that he was very angry with Cricket Australia during the time of Phil Hughes's tragic death in late 2014.

"Two weeks earlier they wouldn't pick me in the Test match when I was fitter than what I was come the Adelaide Test (against India)," he said.

"A week-and-a-half on, I lose my best mate and they beg me to play in that Test match. So I was burning inside because of that."

He said cricket was never going to be same for him after the tragic death of Hughes.

"I guess I probably tried to tell myself that there was a chance he'd be ok," a teary Clarke said. "But I think I knew there wasn't. I spent the whole night talking to him. That breaks my heart the most. It was always hard to play cricket after that. I felt fear for the first time in my life when I played cricket," he said.