"Relationship between India-Australia is important": Michael Clarke meets Haryana CM, eyes cricket academy in state
Chandigarh, June 9
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke met Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in Chandigarh on Monday and expressed his desire to contribute to the growth of cricket in the state, including the possibility of establishing a cricket academy in the future.
Clarke visited 'Sant Kabir Kutir', the Chief Minister's residence, where he also played cricket with CM Saini and praised his enthusiasm for the sport.
The former Australian skipper is currently in India following the conclusion of the IPL 2026 and was involved in commentary duties during the Test match against Afghanistan.
Speaking to ANI after the meeting, Clarke said, "I bowled a delivery to him, and he hit a six off it. The relationship between India and Australia is so important. The IPL just concluded, and I am here to do commentary during the Test Match against Afghanistan, and what an honour to meet the CM. His love and passion for the sport are super important. I hope we will be able to produce even better cricketers from Haryana. I hope to spend more time and maybe even set up my own cricket academy here, bring some young Australian players here and take some Indians to Australia."
One of Australia's most accomplished batters, Clarke made 8,643 runs in 115 Tests, including 28 centuries, placing him among the country's leading run-scorers. In One-Day Internationals, he amassed 7,981 runs and remains fourth on Australia's all-time ODI run charts.
Clarke announced himself on the Test stage with a memorable 151 on debut against India in Bengaluru in 2004. He later became only the sixth Australian to score a Test triple century when he made an unbeaten 329 against India at the Sydney Cricket Ground during the 2011-12 series.
He succeeded Ricky Ponting as Australia's Test captain in 2011 and led the side to a 5-0 Ashes whitewash over England in 2013-14. Clarke also guided Australia to the ICC Cricket World Cup title in 2015 before retiring from international cricket later that year.
Apart from his batting exploits, Clarke contributed with his left-arm spin, including a match-turning spell of 3/5 against India in 2008 that helped Australia retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Overall, he has 94 international wickets under his name.
— ANI
Reader Comments
An Australian legend meeting our CM and even playing cricket with him... that's quite a scene! But I hope this isn't just a photo-op. There's been talk of cricket academies before by former players, but they rarely materialize. If Clarke is serious about setting up an academy in Haryana, that could be a game-changer for rural cricketers who don't have access to proper training facilities. Let's see some concrete action, not just promises.
Loved reading this! Clarke's debut century in Bengaluru is still one of my favourite Test match memories—he was so young and fearless. And now he's here talking about giving back to Indian cricket. The Australia-India friendship has grown so much beyond just cricket, even our governments are close now. This academy idea could help Haryana kids learn from world-class techniques. Yaar, kya baat hai! 👏
Honestly, I'm a bit sceptical about this. Clarke is a great cricketer, no doubt, but why is a Haryana CM spending time on this when there are bigger issues like farmers' demands and employment? The state's budget should prioritize development, not cricket diplomacy. Still, if this academy comes up and creates jobs for local coaches and groundsmen, I'll eat my words. Let's wait and watch.
The way Clarke described CM Saini hitting a six off his bowling is so charming! It's not every day you see a former World Cup-winning captain playfully bowling to a politician. This kind of soft diplomacy helps strengthen ties between the two countries. And honestly, Haryana's passion for cricket is unmatched—remember how the whole state celebrated when Haryana won the Ranji Trophy? A Clarke academy could be magic for grassroots cricket. 😄
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