The Michael Clarke appreciation thread

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

I think the lack of questioning of Clarke's place could be to do with an in-built snobbery regarding the formats - he's an excellent Test batsman, so there's no way he can't play a bit of hit and giggle.

Yes. India is also carrying such guys in Sehwag and Zaheer, who have been **** in T20s for a long time now, yet selectors somehow still believe they'll carry on their Test and ODI form into T20s.

[Top_Cat]

Without checking, didn't Sehwag at least have a decent IPL or has done so in the past?

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Without checking, didn't Sehwag at least have a decent IPL or has done so in the past?

His IPL stats are :

2008 - 34 @ 185, 3 50s from 14 matches
2009 - 20 @ 144, 1 50 from 11 matches
2010 - 25 @ 163, 3 50s from 14 matches

Nothing exceptional there. His International T20 record is also strictly modest since 2008.

[pasag]

Originally Posted by GingerFurball

I think the lack of questioning of Clarke's place could be to do with an in-built snobbery regarding the formats - he's an excellent Test batsman, so there's no way he can't play a bit of hit and giggle.

His poor showing in LO is mystifying, back at his ODI peak what made him so good in the middle order was how few deliveries he wasted, he had one of the lowest, if not the lowest dot ball percentages around. His problem in T20 isn't a lack of hitting ability as such, it's the fact that he can't get scoring at all, he doesn't push singles or twos anywhere near enough. Look at Mike Hussey - as he showed against Pakistan, he's got the ability to bomb it over the ropes when needed, but before he went mental in the last couple of overs, his strike rate was already quite high because he was regularly turning 1s into 2s.

It's amazing how many balls he leaves now. Refuses to hit anything for the first few overs these days. Just leaves everything on principle.

[Spark]

Originally Posted by pasag

It's amazing how many balls he leaves now. Refuses to hit anything for the first few overs these days. Just leaves everything on principle.

Again - it's not that he can't. It's that he doesn't want to.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by Sir Alex

His IPL stats are :

2008 - 34 @ 185, 3 50s from 14 matches
2009 - 20 @ 144, 1 50 from 11 matches
2010 - 25 @ 163, 3 50s from 14 matches

Nothing exceptional there. His International T20 record is also strictly modest since 2008.

Pretty awesome 2008 if you ask me.

[BoyBrumby]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

I'd be hesitant to pin all the credit on his captaincy, tbh. Captains in all forms are important and Clarke has been really good but, at last, picking two of the most destructive pace bowlers in T20 cricket instead of the guys they want to give a run before the next Test series has been a massive factor. Get the feeling they've gotten the selection right rather than the choice of captain.

Comparing him to Brearley is a bit of a stretch; the team is playing to its potential overall rather than playing well above itself. The batting is a worry, though.

Think his captaincy has been decent without ever suggesting he's some unholy spawn of Taylor and Jardine, myself. He looked a little lost in the semi when Pakistan were motoring and, really, was pulled out of jail by a great last over from Tait and then (arguably) the best T20i innings to date.

I'd be pretty sure Cam White (or Haddin or Hussey snr or whoever) would've got Oz to the final with the line up they have too.

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

Pretty awesome 2008 if you ask me.

Yes, but since then he's been quite mediocre since then. Nothing to make him an automatic choice for opening in T20s for the national team.

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by Sir Alex

His IPL stats are :

2008 - 34 @ 185, 3 50s from 14 matches
2009 - 20 @ 144, 1 50 from 11 matches
2010 - 25 @ 163, 3 50s from 14 matches

Nothing exceptional there. His International T20 record is also strictly modest since 2008.

Actually checked and he's just outside the top 10 scorers with a higher strikerate than anyone above him bar Uthappa;

Cricket Records | Indian Premier League, 2009/10 | Records | Most runs | Cricinfo.com

Decent numbers without being amongst the best, sure, but hardly reason to say he's being carried by team India. More to the point, lumping a slightly under-achieving but experienced Sehwag in with a clearly out-of-his depth and woefully inexperienced Clarke is very harsh on Sehwag. Although Clarke obviously makes comparison difficult by not even turning up for an IPL team or NSW....

[vic_orthdox]

Still reckon an average of 25 at a SR of 150+ is a valuable resource to a team. Especially in a side with a Gautim opening along side him, and genuine batting depth below him.

[Top_Cat]

Agreed. Reminds of people who criticised Gilchrist's ODI record because he only averaged 30. Missing the point of why he was there; the sheer speed of scoring meant he'd either bash a quick ton and win the game off his own bat, give someone else a platform to work with or get out of the way quickly.

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Actually checked and he's just outside the top 10 scorers with a higher strikerate than anyone above him bar Uthappa;

Cricket Records | Indian Premier League, 2009/10 | Records | Most runs | Cricinfo.com

Decent numbers without being amongst the best, sure, but hardly reason to say he's being carried by team India. More to the point, lumping a slightly under-achieving but experienced Sehwag in with a clearly out-of-his depth and woefully inexperienced Clarke is very harsh on Sehwag. Although Clarke obviously makes comparison difficult by not even turning up for an IPL team or NSW....

With the 2nd worst average among the top 20 run getters. Being an opener, of course he'll be expected to be near about the top of the run charts. Even Hayden and Gilchrist are up there in that list. What am saying is compare his performances with his peers. Further he hardly seem to play the kind of match winning knocks in T20s these days one expects from openers.

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by vic_orthdox

Still reckon an average of 25 at a SR of 150+ is a valuable resource to a team. Especially in a side with a Gautim opening along side him, and genuine batting depth below him.

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Agreed. Reminds of people who criticised Gilchrist's ODI record because he only averaged 30. Missing the point of why he was there; the sheer speed of scoring meant he'd either bash a quick ton and win the game off his own bat, give someone else a platform to work with or get out of the way quickly.

Not really. India's batting depth in T20s have been exposed in the last 2 world Cups. Further these are IPL figures and when you need to take that with a bit of salt. Further he hardly seem to play the kind of knocks that made Gilly the indispensible force he was in ODIs, which is producing that matchwinning 100. Sehwag after 39 IPL games does not have a 100 to his credit, and has just 4 50s in the last 25 games.

Unlike in tests and ODIs, reputations are of no use without form backing them up.

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by Sir Alex

With the 2nd worst average among the top 20 run getters. Being an opener, of course he'll be expected to be near about the top of the run charts. Even Hayden and Gilchrist are up there in that list. What am saying is compare his performances with his peers. Further he hardly seem to play the kind of match winning knocks in T20s these days one expects from openers.

Whatever, the point is he doesn't deserve to be lumped in with Clarke. Sehwag's just under-performing whereas it's questionable whether Clarke would even make any of the top sides. Massive difference between the two.

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Whatever, the point is he doesn't deserve to be lumped in with Clarke. Sehwag's just under-performing whereas it's questionable whether Clarke would even make any of the top sides. Massive difference between the two.

Fair enough. Clarke would be a pain for even domestic T20 teams. Sehwag does not deserve India colors atm although he may continue to get selected due to lack of competition for DD atleast.