Plumbers arrive at Clarke's home to search for $200,000 ring

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Lara Bingle and Michael Clarke

Lara Bingle

Lara Bingle

Lara Bingle

Lara Bingle and Michael Clarke

Lara Bingle and Michael Clarke

Lara Bingle

Lara Bingle

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Plumbers turned up twice this morning to the Bondi home of Australian cricket vice-captain Michael Clarke in an apparent bid to find the missing A$200,000 engagement ring of former fiancee Lara Bingle.

The plumbers arrived at 8.45am, brandishing a metal detector, but left soon after when they were spotted by the media.

The workmen returned an hour later and were spotted going over building plans of the exclusive Bondi apartment block.

Both men refused to comment.

Allegations also emerged that a photographer was seen going through the building's rubbish.

Clarke was left decidedly unimpressed this morning after learning a Channel Seven reporter and cameraman had booked themselves onto his Qantas flight to New Zealand.

Cricket Australia officials briefed Clarke of the development on his way to Sydney Airport, and the cricketer was said to be upset that the television crew had booked themselves business-class tickets, presumably in an attempt to interview him on the flight.

"He was called about it on the way to the airport and he wasn't happy about it," a source close to Clarke said.

Cricket Australia officials are understood to have made a direct request to the captain of the New Zealand-bound flight not to allow the Channel Seven crew to film Clarke in the cabin. It is not known whether Qantas acquiesced to the request.

Clarke arrived at the airport in a black Mercedes four-wheel-drive 20 minutes after his NSW teammates Simon Katich, Steven Smith and Phillip Hughes and was told by Michael Brown, Cricket Australia's operations manager, to ensure he smiled while walking through the media scrum. The advice was not heeded as a stern-looking Clarke made his way through the airport.

Cricket Australia officials had arranged to have his bags checked in separately, allowing Clarke to make a quick dash through the departure terminal and on to Customs.

"No comment, sorry guys," was Clarke's only offering to the waiting media as he walked stone-faced through the airport, accompanied by Brown and his agent, Chris White.

Brown has been in regular contact with Clarke since his hasty decision to leave Australia's limited overs tour of New Zealand to call off his engagement to Sydney model Lara Bingle.

And he believes he is mentally equipped to deal with the predicted needling from New Zealand spectators at the Basin Reserve during the first Test, beginning on Friday.

"I haven't assessed his state of mind, I'm certainly no psychologist, but I talked to him and he said he wants to play," Brown said. "He's dealt with difficult crowds all around the world so I'm sure he'll continue to do that.

"He's had a difficult time, he's made some difficult decisions but I'm convinced he's ready to play for Australia. He's convinced me of that. We look forward to him getting over there now.

"There was never a question of him not being part of [the Test series against New Zealand]," Brown added. "He's obviously got a lot of issues to deal with but he's really keen to be coming back to play for Australia. I spoke to him Thursday or Friday and it was just a matter of giving him a couple of days to ensure that's what he wanted to do. We've been in regular contact. He's looking forward to getting there."

Smith, barely 12 hours removed from winning the Steve Waugh Medal, was confident his vice-captain would not let the circus created by his split from Bingle detract from his performances during the two-Test series.

"He's been through a pretty tough time of it of late," Smith said. "He's a pretty tough customer. He's going to come back and want to do well for Australia."

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