Buchanan hits back at Clarke

John Buchanan has hit back at comments from former captain Michael Clarke, saying there are still opportunities for the 34-year-old to learn skills about leadership.

Clarke hits out at the former national coach in his 2015 Ashes Diary, excerpts of which were released this week, for claiming that the culture of the Australian team had diminished under his captaincy.

Quick Single: Clarke slams Buchanan, Symonds

Clarke responded in no uncertain terms, saying Buchanan doesn't know "a thing about the Baggy Green, having never worn one" and that he was fortunate to have coached a team filled with some of the greatest players in the game.

"He's still living off the fact that he coached a team that anyone, even my dog Jerry, could have coached to world domination," Clarke wrote.

Buchanan, who coached Australia during a period of great success between 1999 and 2007, responded in a post on his website titled 'Michael Clarke showing there is a lot to learn about being a leader and leadership'.

"Being a captain, coach, corporate leader is not easy," he wrote.

"Each is driven by a relentless passion to inspire others to succeed. The leadership skills that accompany these roles are demanding and complex.

"The opportunity to continue to learn these skills is always available, and hopefully Michael will continue to take these opportunities as they will be presented in his future life and careers."

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Buchanan, Clarke and Andrew Symonds with the 2007 World Cup // Getty

Buchanan said Clarke could learn from recently retired New Zealand rugby captain Richie McCaw.

"There would be precious few people around the world who would say that Richie McCaw did not distinguish himself on the field as well as off," he wrote.

"As captain, he led a team that performed at the highest level with a winning record verging on 90%. As a leader, he inspired all those around him, and all those that followed him and the All Blacks, through his deeds and actions. As a person, he lived and breathed the values and principles of the All Blacks, and ensured the legacy, begun over 100 years ago, was enhanced during the time that he spent in the company of the AB traditions and brand."

Buchanan also directly referenced Clarke's comment that he'd never worn the Baggy Green, outlining his role in inviting past legends to present new players with their caps.

"Michael is indeed correct when he says I never wore the ‘baggy green’," Buchanan wrote.

"My first Test as coach was November 1999 – the same match in which Adam Gilchrist (381) and Scott Muller (382) made their Test debuts.

"We ensured that such a moment was very special in the life of a cricketer, and so looked to always have cricket legends present a first cap. In Brisbane that year, it was Bill Brown.

"There were another 17 presentations in my time as coach including Michael Clarke’s first ‘baggy green’ (389) in Bangalore, India, October 2004.

"Each moment was designed to strengthen the role that the ‘baggy green’ symbol played in growing the aura of the Australian Cricket team.

"The debutant had now become part of history, tradition and values, and must honour those responsibilities."

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Clarke and Buchanan during a 'boot camp' in 2006 // Getty

Buchanan was one of several former figures in Australian cricket who made disparaging comments about Clarke in the lead-up to his final Test at The Oval in August.

Quick Single: Clarke criticised before final Test

In an interview with News Corp during the Ashes, Buchanan said Clarke didn't hold the values of Australian cricket in the same esteem as his predecessors.

"Players like Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and others really tried to make the Baggy Green culture something special but I could sense it was under threat and under Michael's captaincy I can sense it has disappeared a bit and that disappointed me," he said.

"I can remember guys like Hayden and (Justin) Langer sitting him down in a corner and trying to get him to understand what we were trying to achieve.

"There were times when I felt Michael did not understand or did not want to understand."

On Saturday, current coach Darren Lehmann said he didn't want to weigh in to the public spat between the former coach and former captain.

"Everyone's entitled to their opinion," Lehmann told Triple M.

"I'd rather them sort it out behind closed doors.

"You write a book and you've got to have things in that book.

"They're big enough to sort that out behind the scenes. I'm sure they will one day."