Useless Clarke

[Redbacks]

I think Watson could play the anchor role if we lost an early wicket, although I can't say I'm totally sure. One of the great things with Hayden partnering Gilly was he would read the situation well. Lose an early wicket and if he felt the conditions were tough he might pull it back, or continue to attack if the pitch was good.

The dasher at the start certainly set games up for us over the Gilly years. Being 1/40 of 5 or 6 overs was usually ok. This attack put us on the front foot, and would therefore unsettle the best bowler in the hope of putting him purely in 'defence' mode where mistakes occur more. Not only that, opposing captains would have to change their plans and this flows on to a better 50 overs for us, as the best spinner might not get to bowl 10 straight and bog down our middle overs (Roy on form helps also). A gun like Pollock was the only bowler who I can remember consistently tying us down with the new ball, without having to take early wickets, and their ain't anyone as accurate as him playing currently. Therefore I would like Haddin to stay at the top, and as others have suggested, Watto for team balance would have to play lower in the order.

 

[pasag]

I imagine they'll put Watson at 7 because he's much better in that position than Haddin. Marsh and Haddin opening.

Yeah, this would make the most sense. It probably undermines Watson's talent a little, but it's the best thing for team balance and Australia's biggest issue right now is what to do late in the innings.

 

[Don Bradman]

Yesterday innings was nice. But not enough to shut up the detractors.

 

[biased indian]

Yesterday innings was nice. But not enough to shut up the detractors.

ha ha posting about yourself..u started this thread rite ???

 

[DaRick]

Not sure how you all haven't seen me or anyone else post these stats, but for Matt and Tharmi, here ya go:

In the last twelve months, Clarke has 521 runs @ 28.94, with a disgustingly horrible S/R of 65.53. He also has no hundreds in this time. Ironically, David Hussey, who everyone is calling for to be dropped has 477 runs @ 25.10 with a superb S/R of 83.39. 20 balls less per hundred runs for Hussey and only 4 less runs per innings.

EDIT: To address Tharmi's point above, I'll split it into opening and middle order batting over the last year:

Middle order: 8 innings, 148 runs @ 21.14, HS. 56, S/R: 54.01 (Disgustingly bad), 1 50, 0 100.
Opening: 8 innings, 333 runs @ 41.62, HS. 98, S/R: 79.85, 4 50, 0 100.

Awesome point you make there.

Hmm...you are aware that Dave Hussey has only scored 2 fifties in about 15 innings...and that he averaged 12 over the course of this series? If that isn't dire, I'm not sure what is.

TBF, it doesn't matter what strike rate you have if you are dismissed as cheaply as David Hussey has been lately.

At any rate, Clarke's average has been a bit higher than 29 lately and Dave Hussey's has been quite a bit lower than 25, so they're not as close as you make them appear.

Also, David Hussey's off-breaks are useless in the ODI format - worse than Clarke's slow left-armers even.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I never gave my opinion on either of the players, just posted some stats. Argue with whoever else.

 

[DaRick]

I never gave my opinion on either of the players, just posted some stats. Argue with whoever else.

Yes, fair enough - but stats can be misleading. Those ones, IMO, certainly were.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I never intended for that to happen. I really just wanted to show that Clarke hasn't been anywhere near as good as people seem to think he has been because of his test match form. He's been pretty much terrible in One Day cricket for a good amount of time now. Hussey was just used as a comparison because people seem to unanimously want him ousted.

 

[DaRick]

I never intended for that to happen. I really just wanted to show that Clarke hasn't been anywhere near as good as people seem to think he has been because of his test match form. He's been pretty much terrible in One Day cricket for a good amount of time now. Hussey was just used as a comparison because people seem to unanimously want him ousted.

...and for pretty good reason in Dave Hussey's case, unfortunately.

I can't help thinking that those stats would've looked more valid a few months ago than they do now, though.

 

[Don Bradman]

...and for pretty good reason in Dave Hussey's case, unfortunately.

I can't help thinking that those stats would've looked more valid a few months ago than they do now, though.

Dave Hussey is really gutter in ODIs. Agree. But Clarke's been worse considering his lowly SR.

 

[Johnners]

Clarke has had a dire 12 months, but he's not been the only one. I'm fairly certain you'll find that no-one other than M Hussey, Haddin and Marsh/Watto (who have missed quite a bit through injury) has stats that could be described as anything but "below average". Ponting, Clarke, Dussey, White, Hopes, Warner & Ferguson have all played at most 2/3 decent/good innings but on the whole have been pretty poor/dire. Out of all those players, Ponting/Clarke are the last 2 players you'd drop for obvious reasons.

Think the biggest issue in the batting has simply been that it's been anything but a stable line-up for the past 12 months, and it's obviously affecting the team performance.

 

[Redbacks]

Clarke has had a dire 12 months, but he's not been the only one. I'm fairly certain you'll find that no-one other than M Hussey, Haddin and Marsh/Watto (who have missed quite a bit through injury) has stats that could be described as anything but "below average". Ponting, Clarke, Dussey, White, Hopes, Warner & Ferguson have all played at most 2/3 decent/good innings but on the whole have been pretty poor/dire. Out of all those players, Ponting/Clarke are the last 2 players you'd drop for obvious reasons.

Think the biggest issue in the batting has simply been that it's been anything but a stable line-up for the past 12 months, and it's obviously affecting the team performance.

Average of 47.33 with only 1 N/O - 55* that boosts the average, 2 where he had 5-10 balls to face. I wouldn't say he has been poor thus far.

 

[Johnners]

yeah, just realised that re: Ferguson

 

[Migara]

I'd have him everyday of the week over many batsman in SL team.

 

[Burgey]

Clarke's form is a worry in ODI format, however, he remains one of the few batsmen in our line up who I'd back to milk runs well in the mid-overs v spiners on the subcontinent in the WC (assuming he isn't opening and is out by then). And I say that despite his poor run in Australia this summer in ODIs as well.

I just don't see too many options in the middle order for us who would do better on the tracks we're likely to get in the WC.

Watson
Marsh
Ponting
Clarke
Symonds
Muss
Haddin
Hopes/ Hauritz
Johnson
Lee
Moobs/ Bracks

FTW

With Ferguson, Duss, The Prince also in the squad, and myriad other trundlers vying for a seam-up spot.