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The Michael Clarke appreciation thread

social

Well-known member
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

Well-known member
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

Well-known member
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.
 
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pasag

RTDAS
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.....
 

slippy

Well-known member
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

Well-known member
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. !!!
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
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. !!!
If you were a NSW selector, would you pick him for the Big Bash?

NSW are the current Champions League holders, have won the Big Bash once and been runners up once, why would they disrupt what's been a good team in order to fit in a player who isn't a proven T20 player?

edit:
Warner
Watson
Hughes
Katich
Thornley
Henriques
D. Smith
S. Smith

Where exactly does Clarke fit into that lineup?
 
Last edited:

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
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.
Would he be more effective? Yes.
Would he be more effective than other options? No.
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
If you were a NSW selector, would you pick him for the Big Bash?

NSW are the current Champions League holders, have won the Big Bash once and been runners up once, why would they disrupt what's been a good team in order to fit in a player who isn't a proven T20 player?

edit:
Warner
Watson
Hughes
Katich
Thornley
Henriques
D. Smith
S. Smith

Where exactly does Clarke fit into that lineup?
He'd play ahead of Thornely, no doubt. Even before Thornely missed out on a contract.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
If you were a NSW selector, would you pick him for the Big Bash?

NSW are the current Champions League holders, have won the Big Bash once and been runners up once, why would they disrupt what's been a good team in order to fit in a player who isn't a proven T20 player?

edit:
Warner
Watson
Hughes
Katich
Thornley
Henriques
D. Smith
S. Smith

Where exactly does Clarke fit into that lineup?
He fits in at 5 in that lineup, seeing as though Thornley doesn't have a contract with NSW.

Edit: Beaten!
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
Yeah I would rather Khawaja, Haddin and NSW's overseas recruitment Dilshan too.

Maybe Clarke could be an ambassador for the new World Series that Hrithik is creating :)
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
He fits in at 5 in that lineup, seeing as though Thornley doesn't have a contract with NSW.

Edit: Beaten!
Fair enough, was just listing names off the top of my head. Surely though, from a NSW perspective, there'd be as much value in developing Khawaja as a T20 player?
 

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
Fair enough, was just listing names off the top of my head. Surely though, from a NSW perspective, there'd be as much value in developing Khawaja as a T20 player?
Maybe purely from a cricketing operations perspective, but from a Cricket NSW point of view, they'd much rather have Clarke playing for crowds, promotion, sponsors and also keeping Cricket Aus. happy.
 

Top_Cat

Well-known member
Yep agreed. And if Clarke has serious amibitions to be a serious T20 player, than NSW (seriously) have to give him a spot and he needs an IPL contract (seriously). He needs time on the park post-haste.
 
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