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Michael Clarke

Black_Warrior

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
Ok I understand the consequences of the post I am about to make now considering the 2012 that Clarke has had and since public opinion is always based on current affairs, I am ready to face the brickbats that are going to be coming my way.

As I said in the first impression thread, my first impression of Clarke was an excellent player of spin because he made his debut in India and blasted 150 against a much stronger Indian bowling attack than the one operating nowadays.. Then I saw him in the 2004 series against Pakistan and the one image I have of him is Shoaib Akhtar steaming in, Clarke moving away from the line of the delivery towards the leg stump and sticking his bat out towards the off stump, the ball taking his outside edge to first slip. Anyone who walk away from facing a fast bowler, I told myself was not a solid player of fast bowling.

My opinion has not changed all that much since then.. I thought he was exposed in the Ashes 2005...In the Ashes 2010, once again I found him wanting against the quality seam attack he was up against..I found him wanting against Amer and Asif when the ball was moving.

Now his recent form..the only innings that would change my mind a little bit would be the 150 in South Africa last year..
The India series - I don't have a very high opinion of the Indian bowlers and I had this discussion back then when people were considering Ashwin the next best thing.
The current South Africa series - The pitches I found were very very flat in this series...Just because Australia were 40/3 every game because of selection errors does not change that fact.


I would be greatly interested to see him in the back to back Ashes next year..that will seal it for me..if he performs in England the way he has been performing, I am more than happy to change my mind and acknowledge him one of the top batsmen in the world now.
 
Black_Warrior

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
benchmark00 said:
That's ok, you're allowed to be wrong.
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Yep just like I was wrong about the Indian bowlers Ashwin, Vinay Kumar, Ishant Sharma..who Clarke treated like school kids..who have since then gone on to outclass Warne, Ambrose and McGrath respectively.
 
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Spark

Spark

Global Moderator
Yep, just conveniently ignore three almost consecutive series where Clarke scored heavily, predominantly on seamer-friendly pitches, against quality attacks...
 
benchmark00

benchmark00

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I mean ****, how hard is it to please people these days?

Back to back 200's, following a 150 on a pitch rated an 8.4 on the official pitch rating scale, against the universally acknowledged best pace attack on the planet, and he's still not decent enough against pace bowling.
 
Prince EWS

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Black_Warrior said:
It didn't rain today
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It did in Baulkham Hills.

I was thinking about washing my good pants but I decided not to because it looked a bit overcast outside and I didn't want to put them on the line. Sure enough, it rained about an hour later.

Because I was right about that, I'm surely right about this too. Isn't that how it works?
 
Black_Warrior

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
benchmark00 said:
I mean ****, how hard is it to please people these days?

Back to back 200's, following a 150 on a pitch rated an 8.4 on the official pitch rating scale, against the universally acknowledged best pace attack on the planet, and he's still not decent enough against pace bowling.
Click to expand...
Yep..to be the best batsman in the world is meant to be hard..

This man is the best batsman in the world at the moment in my view because he of

2nd Test: England v South Africa at Leeds, Aug 2-6, 2012 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

5th Test: England v Australia at The Oval, Sep 8-12, 2005 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

2nd Test: Australia v England at Adelaide, Dec 1-5, 2006 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Eng 58/0 (9.4 ov, NRD Compton 30*, AN Cook 18*, R Ashwin 0/22) - Match over | Live Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Clarke has centuries I rate highly such as

1st Test: South Africa v Australia at Cape Town, Nov 9-11, 2011 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

2nd Test: England v Australia at Lord's, Jul 16-20, 2009 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

1st Test: India v Australia at Bangalore, Oct 6-10, 2004 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

but not enough to be the best batsman at the moment..

Now I understand people's views on him..Clarke is not the first player to be going through a purple patch..Sangakkara, Mohammad Yousuf, Rahul Dravid, Ian Bell, Hussey, Trott, Sehwag have all gone through similar purple patches and have all been hailed as the next Bradman at different points (in the case of Sehwag, by none other than Sir Ian Chappell)...all it takes is a few bad innings when the same people call for their heads. Lot of people are pointing out how Clarke averages more than Ponting now..that very fact should tell you something..Ponting himself was considered superior to Lara and Tendulkar at one point..this is the way it works..

As I said, I am not writing off Clarke at all..all I am saying is in my view, he hasn't done enough to be considered the best batsman in the world..if he performs in the Ashes the way he butchered poor Ashwin and Vinay Kumar, I will be the first one to acknowledge that.
 
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Black_Warrior

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
Prince EWS said:
It did in Baulkham Hills.

I was thinking about washing my good pants but I decided not to because it looked a bit overcast outside and I didn't want to put them on the line. Sure enough, it rained about an hour later.

Because I was right about that, I'm surely right about this too. Isn't that how it works?
Click to expand...
But you were only right within a certain context..in the context of Baulkham Hills..not Epping..you have to broaden your vision a little bit...
 
Spark

Spark

Global Moderator
You didn't say "he isn't the best batsman in the world". You implied that you don't currently

acknowledge him one of the top batsmen in the world now.
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Which is borderline laughable. On the wrong side of the line, that is.

I will also note that almost all those batsmen are universally acknowledged as world-class batsmen - which is what Clarke is. A world-class batsman.
 
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