The Michael Clarke appreciation thread

[Top_Cat]

Well yes, if a and b are true, no team will touch him. I was more referring to if he committed for a whole season. I mean, as much potential as someone like Aaron Finch has, reckon Clarke would comfortably pip him for a contract at Rajasthan if he dumped his price and played every game.

[Sir Alex]

Subtle anchor role weighs Michael Clarke down in Twenty20s | Cricket News | ICC World Twenty20 2010 | Cricinfo.com

Lol, is the writer a fanboy? Trying hard to sugarcoat his criticisms with usages like,

'By far the best test batsman in his side'

'Master in test cricket and one day cricket'

'Has seldom opportunity to better his t20 game.... Does not play in IPL.... Does not play in big bash....'

Lol.

[four_or_six]

Will he actually have a chance to play the Big Bash this year, iirc it usually clashes with Australia matches so he can't?

If Warney's still at Rajasthan I'm sure they'll pick him up and may well play him. Apart from that, it's easy to say 'get an IPL contract' but about half of those who do just sit on the bench anyway so it's quite possibly a waste of time. Plus he does seem to have a long-standing back issue... I wonder what the feeling is about him missing tests because he's agravated his back at the IPL?

[Jayzamann]

Originally Posted by four_or_six

I wonder what the feeling is about him missing tests because he's agravated his back at the IPL?

I suppose the full extent of that particular ****storm will only be known when/if it happens.

[Sir Alex]

Originally Posted by four_or_six

Will he actually have a chance to play the Big Bash this year, iirc it usually clashes with Australia matches so he can't?

If Warney's still at Rajasthan I'm sure they'll pick him up and may well play him. Apart from that, it's easy to say 'get an IPL contract' but about half of those who do just sit on the bench anyway so it's quite possibly a waste of time. Plus he does seem to have a long-standing back issue... I wonder what the feeling is about him missing tests because he's agravated his back at the IPL?

I don't think he or Cricket Australia have a genuine argument in that they just woke up to realise Clarke isn't a good T20 player. If they were planning him to helm affairs, it was evident this should've been addressed also. They or Clarke didn't.

Hussey and Watson share similar duties to Clarke, particularly in the last 1 year or more, but they have managed to keep the balance going as well. Watson in particular with all his troubles and injuries over these years.

If Clarke is genuinely having a backproblem that is hampering him from being a good T20 player, then he better retire from that format imho. Nothing wrong in that.

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Sir Alex

Subtle anchor role weighs Michael Clarke down in Twenty20s | Cricket News | ICC World Twenty20 2010 | Cricinfo.com

Lol, is the writer a fanboy? Trying hard to sugarcoat his criticisms with usages like,

'By far the best test batsman in his side'

'Master in test cricket and one day cricket'

'Has seldom opportunity to better his t20 game.... Does not play in IPL.... Does not play in big bash....'

Lol.

The article was good except he overrated Clarke in ODIs.

This isn't just a T20 problem.

[Top_Cat]

*cue someone who didn't actually watch him bat to post his numbers from the past year and completely miss the point*

[Spark]

"That's the thing, if I play like that, that's probably why I got dropped," Clarke said in November. "You have your day in the sun sometimes then miss out five times."

Well, that's enlightening.

[Nnanden]

[silentstriker]

People shouldn't try to mess with Clarke as a cricketer based on his T20 performance. The fact is, when India play Australia in Real Cricket (TM), Clarke is definitely one of the players that could do massive damage with his ability to play spin.

Yes, he may not a be a real good T20 batsman, but he is an excellent cricketer. I'd love to have him in the Indian side any day. It's not too far fetched to call him the best batsman in the Australian Test team as that article posted by Sir Alex suggested. He's an excellent player, and will probably remain the backbone for a while now that Ponting (maybe) is winding down.

IMO for the sake of his confidence, he should focus on the format he excels in (obviously personally he'd want to prove his mettle in all formats, but the selectors should think of Test cricket and rule him out). I don't know how good or bad he is in ODIs, and don't much care, but I know he's a great player in Tests and his shortcomings in this format may mentally start to affect him in the longer format, and that would be a shame for Australia. Though obviously I'd love for him to be short of confidence when he comes over to India for that Test series, especially as now Hayden is out of the picture and he could potentially be that "dominating-spin" presence in the lineup.

[Top_Cat]

At this rate, he'll be the only guy who can seriously play spin in the line-up.

[andyc]

Originally Posted by Top_Cat

At this rate, he'll be the only guy who can seriously play spin in the line-up.

Hardly the best indication admittedly, but of his 6 dismissals this tournament, one of them was run out, while the other 5 were all at the hands of spinners. Obviously he'd be much more likely to be facing spinners given the time he was at the crease, and he is definitely a good player of spin, but it's interesting.

[Top_Cat]

Originally Posted by andyc

Hardly the best indication admittedly, but of his 6 dismissals this tournament, one of them was run out, while the other 5 were all at the hands of spinners. Obviously he'd be much more likely to be facing spinners given the time he was at the crease, and he is definitely a good player of spin, but it's interesting.

Put that down to pressure to score, myself. Most of them were to big swipes weren't they?

[Spark]

Michael Clarke determined to stay on as Australia's Twenty20 captain | Australia Cricket News | Cricinfo.com

The worst outcome of all this would be that he brings the shots back and starts getting out in Tests to them again...

[Sir Alex]

Haha yet another Clarke T20 article in cricinfo?