Michael Clarke classier than Tiger Woods

It was hard not to think of Tiger Woods, when Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke fronted the media yesterday.

Woods, the fraud who made a fool of his wife and left some uncomfortable home truths his two children will one day discover, had also been in the news.

Yet another of his prepared statements had been released, confirming that he would return to competitive golf at next month's Masters.

In case you missed it, Woods hadn't been a very good boy, stringing a series of women along, not least his wife, Elin. All the while he had milked the image of a solid family man for all it was worth, courtesy of a string of endorsement deals.

Despite years of careful construction, that facade took just a few days to crumble and bar the odd written statement and a shameful media event, in which Woods read an apology of sorts, he hasn't been sighted.

Clarke had a fire – not of his own lighting – to put out back in Sydney last week. It necessitated him leaving the team with two matches remaining in their one-day series against New Zealand, but he did it, knowing it would be at some cost to his reputation.

Now back, Clarke spoke to media from both sides of the Tasman yesterday, and did so with class.

There was no fakery, no heavily vetted statements or crocodile tears.

"Look, I'm not going to comment on my personal life. I'm really sorry," Clarke said.

He did not attempt to justify leaving the tour, speculate on what he'd done back in Sydney or make mention of Lara Bingle, the woman he supposedly went home to break off an engagement with.

In truth, he left journalists with more questions than answers. But he manned up, as he did in returning to Sydney in the first place.

"It's easy when you've got great friends around you. The support I've had from my team-mates has been fantastic and I'm really excited about being back in New Zealand with them and I'm very keen to get out on the paddock on Friday," Clarke said.

It would be nice to think spectators will not give him a hard time when the first test between New Zealand and Australia starts at the Basin Reserve on Friday. But if they do, he said, he'd take it in his stride.

Contrast that with Woods who will tee off at Augusta National, safe in the knowledge any heckler will be removed from the course and handed a lifetime ban from the event.

- © Fairfax NZ News