Hussey says his refusal to attend Clarke-organised boat party caused Oz team differences

Former Australian Test star Michael Hussey has revealed that his decision not to attend a party on a boat organised by captain Michael Clarke had created miscommunication and differences within the team.

Hussey had reportedly spilled the actual happenings according to him, which had split the team and the notorious spat, albeit in a separate incident, between Simon Katich and Clarke, for which he also blamed himself.

According to the Courier Mail, Hussey said that he was invited, during his last Test, to a party organised by Clarke on a boat owned by Australian media mogul James Packer, as a reward for the players and to thank them for their efforts on the Sydney Harbour, although no children were allowed on the boat for safety reasons.

Due to the no-children rule, Hussey said that he declined to attend the party so that he could spend time with his family, and conveyed the fact to team manager Gavin Dovey, following which Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon also decided not to attend the party.

However, Hussey further said, some of the players, especially Shane Watson, were of the belief that the party should not have been held without him, following which an email turned up alleging that a number of incidents had caused a break-down between Clarke and him, which he added, put a dampener on what was a great time for the team.

Stating that the rift between Katich and Clarke also happened because of him, Hussey said that the dispute happened because of his (Hussey's) delay in leading the team song, following which there was the alleged flare-up between Katich and Clarke, adding that Katich might have frustrated at the delay and took out his anger on Clarke.

According to Hussey, the entire affair confirmed that communications and trust among the close cricket fraternity were not what they could have been.