Arthur upset at confidential lawsuit being made public

Sacked Australia coach Mickey Arthur has been left "extremely upset and disappointed" after his confidential lawsuit against Cricket Australia was leaked to the media leading to a massive controversy.

"I am extremely upset and disappointed that confidential documents appear to have been given by others to the media," Arthur said in a statement.

"The matters raised in my application to the FWC concerning issues within the Australian cricket team are very sensitive, which is why I was at pains to keep them confidential, especially at this time.

"I have kept them confidential, unfortunately others have now made them public. I want to stress how important to me the members of the team were, and still remain to me. The welfare of the Australian cricket team is up-most to me," he added.

Arthur has decided to take legal action against Cricket Australia, claiming that his dismissal as national coach involved racial discrimination because he is a South African and didn't understand the Australian way.

According to reports in the Australian media, legal documents tendered in the Melbourne court showed that Arthur had felt like "meat in the sandwich" in the divisive feud between skipper Michael Clarke and Shane Watson.

Arthur, who was shown the door days before the Ashes series and two years before his contract was due to expire, has reportedly sought payments and compensation amounting to AUD four million or his job back from Cricket Australia (CA) to the end of his 2015 contract.

According to documents lodged by Arthur as part of his claim against CA, the South African has reportedly detailed some of the dressing room acrimony which marred the team's on-field performances this year.

"There was major tension between Michael Clarke and Shane Watson," Channel Seven reported from Arthur's document of claim.

The 45-year-old South African, who was replaced by former Australia batsman Darren Lehmann, had to deal with the rift between Clarke and Watson ever since his appointment in November 2011, reports said.

Arthur, who was under-fire for Australia's poor show especially on the India tour and Champions trophy, and was also criticised because of the disciplinary issues within the camp, claimed that he didn't get the support from CA when he and Clarke had dropped four players, including then vice-captain Watson for the third Test in India.

He also alleged that Watson had told him about the bar-room brawl where Australia opener David Warner had punched England batsman Joe Root during the Champions Trophy, which resulted in the Australian batsman being suspended in the team's lead-up games to the Ashes.

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