The Michael Clarke appreciation thread

[Nnanden]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

Be happier seeing him in whites only, just quietly.

Unfortunately, you're in the minority.

EDIT: Credit to Pup for his statements overnight though. Just wonder if vic_orthdox knows more about his game than he does.

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by Nnanden

Unfortunately, you're in the minority.

EDIT: Credit to Pup for his statements overnight though. Just wonder if vic_orthdox knows more about his game than he does.

@ those who voted for "T20s only" option.

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

The really **** thing about this situation is that it was fairly predictable some time ago that his batting was the weak link in his T20 game, mainly since he's so inexperienced in the format. There's a place for players like him in T20 sides but they've all taken time to adjust and add the necessary last-5-overs hitting capability to their pierce-the-field games or find ways to score off full balls on the stumps, etc. The selectors have put him in this position and as much as I like to heap **** on the guy, it sucks that he has to publicly admit his place is under threat, was on a hiding to nothing in some ways.

One wonders, assuming he keeps his place in the T20 side, whether his Test batting will take a hit. He might start trying to play more shots to prove he can when there really is nothing wrong with his Test game. Just get horrifying images of massive slashes outside off-stump against the English bowling attack next summer.

Selectors can take some of the blame, definitely, but has Clarke really tried to improve his T20 game? Surely he's had time to play some domestic T20 cricket somewhere on this planet. I know he went through some **** over the summer with Bingle and what not, but still.

[social]

Originally Posted by Sir Alex

Michael Clarke and “The Pain of Discipline…” Tattoo Fiasco AE

Getting a tatoo - $
Getting it done in a language your mates don't know to look cool - $
Ending up with one meaning the opposite of what's it supposed to be, and looking like a fool - priceless.

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by Jono

Selectors can take some of the blame, definitely, but has Clarke really tried to improve his T20 game? Surely he's had time to play some domestic T20 cricket somewhere on this planet. I know he went through some **** over the summer with Bingle and what not, but still.

Oh yeah, and I've given him enough crapola for not turning out for an IPL team/setting his price too high and barely playing any T20 for NSW too. I do wonder, though, when he was busily turning down the opportunity to head to India over the last couple of years whether he knew he was going to get the T20 captaincy on a serious basis as opposed to filling in when the Aussies were treating as an exhibition game. That said, he knew he was captain before this year's IPL too.....

[social]

Originally Posted by Jono

Selectors can take some of the blame, definitely, but has Clarke really tried to improve his T20 game? Surely he's had time to play some domestic T20 cricket somewhere on this planet. I know he went through some **** over the summer with Bingle and what not, but still.

Unfortunately, it was never about whether he was the best candidate for the job

I think I mentioned that I sat with certain members of the Oz hierarchy after the first day of the Lords test last year and they categorically stated that if the team lost the Ashes in 2009, then Ponting would be captain until after the next England tour as:

a. they thought he deserved the opportunity to remove the only blemish on his captaincy cv; and

b. in any case, Clarke was not considered "fit" to hold the position because of his behaviour whilst in "that relationship."

Having heard that, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he was given the t20 captaincy as both a trade-off and in the hope that he would mature sufficiently to be considered a worthy candidate.

Tbh, if people were being selected on merit:

1. Clarke or Katich would be the test captain as Ponting has lost 2 series in Eng that were basically considered to be unlosable;

2. Clarke would be the odi captain; and

3. Clarke would be nowhere near the t20 setup

[Johnners]

Failing to see why, above all else, Clarke would be the captain of the ODI if selected on merit? How exactly does Ponting not merit having the captaincy of the ODI team?

[Jayzamann]

Originally Posted by Sir Alex

Clarke concedes he was 'not up to scratch' | Cricket News | ICC World Twenty20 2010 | Cricinfo.com

"There's no doubt that the selectors will need to have a look at my performances," he said in an unusually candid remark. "I certainly know they haven't been up to scratch through this whole tournament and probably in Twenty20 cricket in general. I'm sure the selectors will sit down and have a look and if I'm not the right guy for No. 3 and the captaincy then they'll make that decision."

Good on ya pup.

Calling a spade a spade. I really didn't expect that from him.

[Spark]

Originally Posted by stephen

Is it possible that Michael Clarke cost Australia the World Cup?

Because that's the way the scorecard looks to me.

Partly, but 150 should never have been as easy to get on that pitch as England made it.

[pasag]

Clarke is our best T20 player: Haddin.

Clarke concedes he was 'not up to scratch' | Cricket News | ICC World Twenty20 2010 | Cricinfo.com

"There's no doubt that the selectors will need to have a look at my performances," he said in an unusually candid remark. "I certainly know they haven't been up to scratch through this whole tournament and probably in Twenty20 cricket in general. I'm sure the selectors will sit down and have a look and if I'm not the right guy for No. 3 and the captaincy then they'll make that decision."

But....BUT.....

[Jono]

... but everyone knows Haddin has something wrong in his head.

[pasag]

Originally Posted by Jono

... but everyone knows Haddin has something wrong in his head.

BUT....

link

[slippy]

If Michael Clarke wants to continue playing twenty 20 cricket for Australia he has to open the batting, then he can beat the field by playing orthodox cricketing shots in the first 6 overs.

[Jayzamann]

Originally Posted by slippy

If Michael Clarke wants to continue playing twenty 20 cricket for Australia he has to open the batting, then he can beat the field by playing orthodox cricketing shots in the first 6 overs.

He really should swallow his pride and get whatever he can to play in next years IPL (preferably for one of the new franchises, more likely to get games) and actually get his head around t20 cricket. An excellent point was made (in this thread, iirc) that a lot of the supposed 'old hats' who were pigeon-holed as test specialists in IPL1 and are doing well for themselves now (Tendyla, Dadi, Jayawardene, even Kallis to an extent), it only took them time. It remains to be seen whether their test form is affected, though.

Thing is, if Clarke (who is still young) can throw himself into t20 with an IPL franchise and for NSW, play a few dozen games a year, who knows where he'll be in 24 months? We might even have a thread without a hint of irony. !!!

[GIMH]

Originally Posted by Sir Alex

@ those who voted for "T20s only" option.

Stand by my decision tbh