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Michael Clarke

sean

School Boy/Girl Captain
Why does everyone think he's so good? 2 centuries and suddenly he's a superstar?
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
Past record in junior teams really. I have a feeling that even though Ian Bell has had a crap season that Bell is a better talent.

and...he's English :D:D:D:D:D
 

Eclipse

International Debutant
No way Clark is heaps better than I. Bell and i have seen alot of both of them.
 

age_master

Hall of Fame Member
Clarke will pl;ay test cricket in the next couple of years no doubt, he is the greatest batsman since Ponting to come through the ranks, also - he would make both the test and ODI teams as he has shown he can bat in the ING cup as well
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
Right...and all that after 2 centuries? Just let him mature and leave all the pressure off him. Bell suffered from the pressure this season but I've seen Bell and he's one of the best I've seen, hes got a great technique.
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
And I suppose Michael Clarke is just better than Bell as he's Australian :lol:
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
Hehehe, but people from Australia will think their player is better, the same with England...except when the hard realities come in. I just think Clarke's being pushed up like Bell was, and adding to the fact that if someone like Matt Elliot who averages 48 in FC cricket and Hussey among others, can't get a place in the test or ODI team then how is some guy who averages 36 or sommit gonna get into the world cup?
 

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
Please stop pulling out statistics like that and expecting them to support your assertions. Let me point you in the direction of Graeme Hick and Marcus Trescothick in the CC.

"Like the lamppost to the drunk, more for support than illumination".
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
Notices that he didn't mention Trescothick or Hick...

I just think Australia will go for experiance in the World Cup...and Lehmann is in the test squad now so that should give hope to Elliot and Blewett. I think the last thing Clarke needs is to be thrown in the deep end when he's coming to terms with the shallow end of Domestic cricket.
 

age_master

Hall of Fame Member
Clarke is a brilliant bat, which you would agree with if you had seen him play.

ofcourse Aussie players are better than the rest of the world, we are on top of every International table and we have state sides taht when at full strength could knock of any other international side (esp at home)
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
Bell ain't half bad either, I would look out for a few young players like Kabir Ali and James Dalyrmple (or however you spell it) as they could be big.
 

Eclipse

International Debutant
Clark is ralitivly new and very young just because he only avrages 37 means nothing at this stage for a 21 year old. I would expect him to lift that avrage to around 44-48.
 

age_master

Hall of Fame Member
look at soem of clarkes stats :
Vice captain and captain of the Aus u/19's in sucessive years

on the tour of england (when he was vice captain)he got a hundred in one of the tests (others on the tour were Clingleffer, Hauritz,klinger etc)

sis crap in the u/19 world cup - spend half if it opening :(

this season he has 2 50's and a 48 in ING cup and 2 hundreds in the Pura cup
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
Some of Ian Bell:

Captain of England Under 19's for several years with many centuries

Averaged 60 in the CC when only 19

Had a poor season last season but still won the Man of the Match award in the (Supercup?) Final at Lords for his 64* which won the match for Warwickshire.

Twice called up for the England Academy, England A Tour when 19 shortly before he played his 1st full season for Warwickshire and drafted into the party to tour New Zealand in early 2002.

All in all not bad...and I've heard his brother Keith ain't half bad either...:D
 

age_master

Hall of Fame Member
i saw in the paper today that mark Waugh was talking about clarke as a certainty to play test cricket in the future, and thet a few more NSW matches would not hurt him
 

The Argonaut

State Vice-Captain
I've got no doubt that Clarke will play test cricket sooner rather than later but let's give him a full year of domestic cricket to give him some experience.

No one has metioned Brendan Nash who has had some big scores opening for Qld lately. Also a good young prospect and has similar FC statistics as Clarke.
 

Rik

Cricketer Of The Year
But FC stats mean nothing...dammit thats been hammered into my head too much :lol: Damn you all!:lol:
 

Eclipse

International Debutant
Nash does not have the apeal of Clark mainly because hes got less shots and so far has done nothing in the One day matches.
 

Top_Cat

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I don't have a single doubt that Michael Clarke will play Test cricket but I think he needs to have a full season under his belt. Watch for Geoff Marsh's son, Shaun, to have a reasonable season this year too.

I must say, though, that having had a decent look at him in one-day and 4-day cricket, Michael Clarke looks as good as any young player out there. A guy with that many shots as well as a tight defence would find it difficult NOT to be any good!

Having said that, give my 'best young player in world cricket' award to Hassan Raza. I was impressed beyond belief with the way he batted in Sharjah.
 

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