Oracle of Delphi
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Craig HillDid Hayden and Martyn trade blows?
January 12th 2007 06:26
Damien Martyn’s announcement this week that he has sold the so called rights to his retirement story to Channel 9 for $30,000 started cricket’s famous rumour mill and resulted in a series of denials about the circumstances leading up the Martyn’s retirement.
Justin Langer has come out and suggested that it would be impossible for the great mates of the Australian dressing room to ever have a problem of that nature. A quick perusal of Steve Waugh’s autobiography will tell you that despite an outwardly harmonious team bond being portrayed in the media that a group of testosterone charged blokes in a highly competitive environment of international cricket is bound to have some differences of opinion.
Damien Martyn was never one to seek attention and would have been far more uncomfortable than any of the three recent retirees at the SCG so perhaps it was true to form that he would retire without any fanfare. However more perplexing is the fact that Martyn did not seek to negotiate a golden handshake with the ACB or that he refused to offer any form of explanation to anyone in the aftermath of his decision.
Something is amiss. For Langer to have come out in the press and presented a flat denial of any disharmony smacks of a cover up. Where there is smoke there is fire and something went terribly awry in the post Adelaide celebrations.
Hayden, despite being devout Christian and all round good guy, is not one stand down, just ask Simon Jones after his apology during the 2005 one day series. Martyn does not necessarily buy into the matey persona of Langer and Hayden and is a more reclusive figure. Perhaps something was said, perhaps words were misconstrued and perhaps there was a scene, maybe not raised fists but an event significant enough to tip a player nearing the end over the edge, regardless of the money.
Justin Langer has come out and suggested that it would be impossible for the great mates of the Australian dressing room to ever have a problem of that nature. A quick perusal of Steve Waugh’s autobiography will tell you that despite an outwardly harmonious team bond being portrayed in the media that a group of testosterone charged blokes in a highly competitive environment of international cricket is bound to have some differences of opinion.
Damien Martyn was never one to seek attention and would have been far more uncomfortable than any of the three recent retirees at the SCG so perhaps it was true to form that he would retire without any fanfare. However more perplexing is the fact that Martyn did not seek to negotiate a golden handshake with the ACB or that he refused to offer any form of explanation to anyone in the aftermath of his decision.
Something is amiss. For Langer to have come out in the press and presented a flat denial of any disharmony smacks of a cover up. Where there is smoke there is fire and something went terribly awry in the post Adelaide celebrations.
Hayden, despite being devout Christian and all round good guy, is not one stand down, just ask Simon Jones after his apology during the 2005 one day series. Martyn does not necessarily buy into the matey persona of Langer and Hayden and is a more reclusive figure. Perhaps something was said, perhaps words were misconstrued and perhaps there was a scene, maybe not raised fists but an event significant enough to tip a player nearing the end over the edge, regardless of the money.
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Comment by cricket tragics
After several indifferent performances Martyn had needed to sieze every opportunity to try to consolidate his position in the team.
It seemed to me that a likely explanation for his sudden departure was that he simply spat the dummy and just walked out - probably before the match had ended.
That's how it seemed to me.
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Anonymous
It has been confirmed by a reliable source at a cricket conference in NSW.
Whether that was the reason of Martyn's retirement is anyone's guess.
Comment by charles
ZCars
Ponderous
Charles.
Comment by Anonymous