Sources have revealed that Mickey Arthur may have apologised to Shane Watson for being part of the suspension of four players on the India tour and told him that it was the hardest decision he took in his life.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Watson tried to repair his relationship with captain Michael Clarke on several occasions over the past 12 months, and Arthur was left out of the loop on key decisions about the team, which included the decision to return Watson to the opening position, made before Darren Lehmann replaced Arthur as coach.
The report said that Arthur was very distressed about the incident where players were suspended for not doing their homework, and told Watson later that he was sorry for the decision.
The report added that Arthur might have contacted Watson in recent days, before the emergence of court documents detailing the dressing room acrimony that disrupted the team in the months before the former coach's sacking.