Clarke apologized to Ponting for not inviting him to team management meeting

Michael Clarke and Shane Watson,quietly convened the team management meeting.

Ricky Ponting,who was replaced as captain by Michael Clarke before the Bangladesh tour,very well knew that he was no longer in-charge of the Australian team,but old habits die hard.

The new guard,captain Michael Clarke and vice-captain Shane Watson,quietly convened the team management meeting at the start of the three-match Bangladesh tour.

While Ponting did not receive an official invitation,he feared the consequences of ignoring the meeting if he was obliged to attend because it would have amounted to disrespect towards his successor.

The result was a sharp reminder of what post-captaincy life in the Australian team would – or,more specifically,would not entail,The Age reports.

I wasnt told that I wasnt in the leadership group any more,basically. We had the first meeting of the tour it was about 3 o”clock in the afternoon and I was ringing around trying to get the coach or manager to find out if I was expected to be there.

I couldn”t get in touch with them so I just went down and pulled the door open and they were sitting in there, he told The Age this week.

Of course,everyone came and apologised later saying,We should have let you know. It wasnt that I was expecting to be included,I just didnt want to be doing the wrong thing for a meeting I might have supposed to have been in, Ponting said.