The Michael Clarke appreciation thread

[Top_Cat]

Haha, yeah exactly. You may think you need runs Michael but the team really doesn't need your runs. Bat below Johnson PLEASE.

[Spark]

Gah. Was just looking through his early LO record... and he was a damn good LO player.

Why can't he just throw caution to the winds, back away and just go and try whacking every second ball over the bowler's head?

[Jono]

Gah. Was just looking through his early LO record... and he was a damn good LO player.

Why can't he just throw caution to the winds, back away and just go and try whacking every second ball over the bowler's head?

Yeah he was.

The common theory is he's tightened up his technique so much to make him a MUCH better test player, that its affected his pyjama cricket game.

[Spark]

Whilst that is an obvious reason I'm not sure that's all of it because for a while after his recall he was still pretty good. Had an average of almost 90 @ an SR of almost 100 in the World Cup, didn't he? 4 50's including 2 90's at quicker than a run a ball.

[Jono]

No not after his recall, which was a while ago now. Like say the last 18 months?

[Spark]

No not after his recall, which was a while ago now. Like say the last 18 months?

But that's what I mean. He was still OK for about two years after the recall, and then became more and more timid. Is that all technique?

[Jono]

But he's become pretty damn good in the last 18 months in test cricket. He's gone from strength to strength.

[Spark]

But he's become pretty damn good in the last 17 months in test cricket. He's gone from strength to strength.

He has, and for that I am immensely thankful, but we are talking T20's here

[Sir Alex]

Yeah he was.

The common theory is he's tightened up his technique so much to make him a MUCH better test player, that its affected his pyjama cricket game.

I can't agree with that line of thought given how guys with impeccable techniques like Dravid, Kallis, Jayawardene all have done well in T20. It is more a question of his unwillingness to work on his game in that format. He has to play in the IPL or Big Bash to correct that. Which is why Hussey should take his place in the batting order. Hussey can do both jobs, consolidate the innings in case of early exit of openers, or carry on the good job done by them and provide the final touches as well. Clarke does not inspire any confidence in both areas.

[Spark]

I mean it's not like he can't smash boundaries. Even in his test innings he shows he has the ability to really turn up the tempo and whack them around. It's that, apart from one innings in NZ, he doesn't look like he wants to do anything but tap it into a gap for one.

[Jono]

He has, and for that I am immensely thankful, but we are talking T20's here

Haha I know, but I'm just stating the evidence for that theory is pretty strong. There's almost an inverse relationship between Clarke's test success and his limited overs success.

[andyc]

I mean it's not like he can't smash boundaries. Even in his test innings he shows he has the ability to really turn up the tempo and whack them around. It's that, apart from one innings in NZ, he doesn't look like he wants to do anything but tap it into a gap for one.

Indeed, that's what's so frustrating about it. It's like he thinks that motoring at a run a ball is the way to go in T20s.

[pasag]

Indeed, that's what's so frustrating about it. It's like he thinks that motoring at a run a ball is the way to go in T20s.

Has to be an emperor's clothes situation in the dressing room at the moment with guys like Haddin saying he's the best player in the side.

[BoyBrumby]

Notwithstanding our own skipper's current travails, I'm surprised more of the old heads in the Aussie media haven't been talking about Clarke's direness in the format. Back when Tubby was having his nightmare run before the 97 Ashes the usual suspects (Chappelli, Harvey...) were all lining up to say you pick your best 11 players and a captain from them.

Fair to say already Clarke's no Taylor as captains go and he's having a Barry Crocker with the bat too. If he's one of the best 6/7 2020 batsman I'm a coffee bean.

[andyc]

Notwithstanding our own skipper's current travails, I'm surprised more of the old heads in the Aussie media haven't been talking about Clarke's direness in the format. Back when Tubby was having his nightmare run before the 97 Ashes the usual suspects (Chappelli, Harvey...) were all lining up to say you pick your best 11 players and a captain from them.

Fair to say already Clarke's no Taylor as captains go and he's having a Barry Crocker with the bat too. If he's one of the best 6/7 2020 batsman I'm a coffee bean.

Yeah, that's definitely one of the most frustrating thing for me. When Katich was scoring slowly at the top of the order in ODIs a couple of years ago, every journo was having a crack, but no one says a peep about Clarke. Even his ODI decline, which has been in motion for well over a year as pasag will happily point out, has only been brought up in the last series or two. The ridiculous thing is that if you talk to any semi-knowledgeable cricket fan, Australian or otherwise, they'll all agree that he's gash at T20s, but there's nothing in the papers. It's as if the increasing fanboyism from Grieg, Lawry and co. in the commentary box is rubbing off on the media as well.