Sports Star Says “Bingle Makes Me A Better Cricketer”

Hot on the heels of the blissfully romantic news last week that absence had indeed made the heart grow fonder when it came to the relationship between cricketer Michael Clarke and Lara “Waaaaait, Marriage Mean La-La No Touch? Me Confoozed!” Bingle, we’ve now been informed that the batsman credits Lara with making him want to be a better man, or some As Good As It Gets-esque rubbish along those lines.

Young gun Michael Clarke revealed yesterday he wants to be Australia’s next Test captain – and he credited model girlfriend Lara Bingle with giving his life fresh purpose.

Clarke, speaking for the first time about his 12-month relationship with Bingle, said he is a better batsman because he has never been happier off the field.

Clarke believes his romance with the Cronulla model, who shot to national fame after she starred in Tourism Australia’s controversial Where The Bloody Hell Are You? campaign, is helping drive him to become a better cricketer and a better person.

“I think the person I am now, it’s got a lot to do with Lara and theres no doubt that’s the truth,” he said.

“I’m certainly the first guy to say that if you are happy off the field it shows in your cricket.

“I’m wrapped with my life at the moment and I’m really, really happy and I think that will come across in my cricket.

Unless Christo has quietly made his way to Oz and begun wrapping Michael Clarke and his house/car/workplace, we can’t help but suspect the Daily Telegraph meant to write that Clarke was “rapt” with his life. But what do we know?

“Seeing somebody like Lara certainly makes me happy I have something to look forward to when I get home.”

“Seeing” makes sense. We never assumed “talking” to somebody like Lara would bring too much joy to a person’s life, but we suppose just staring at her half-naked body would be okay, if she promised to keep her thoughts to herself.