Australia's summer of discontent seems to have started cracking their team spirit as vice-captain Michael Clarke and opener Simon Katich got involved in a dressing room brawl over singing of the team song after the Sydney Test win last month. According to local media reports,Katich grabbed Clarke by the throat in a row over the singing of the team song after defeating South Africa in the last Test at Sydney,prompting their stunned teammates to act as a mediator to separate them. Clarke wanted to leave early after the customary singing to be with his girl friend Lara Bingle but the "custodian" of the song - currently Michael Hussey - did not begin the song until near midnight after which the fight broke out. "Yes,we had a disagreement after the Sydney Test," Clarke was quoted as saying by the 'Herald Sun'. But he quickly made light of the matter by saying it was a routine difference and they had patched up. "This kind of thing occasionally happens in cricket teams. We didn't see eye to eye on that night,but we have been teammates at NSW and Australia for a long time. We've spoken since,including catching up the other night at the Allan Border Medal. There's no issue between us," he said. Katich also confirmed about their fight but said there was no animosity between them. "I've spoken to Michael as recently as today and we're both big enough and old enough to have moved on from this. Michael and I are focused on some tough Test cricket that's coming up for Australia against South Africa in a couple of weeks," he said. Meanwhile,Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said no action had been taken against the players and it was considered a private matter. "What happens between these guys is their business," he said.
