The Michael Clarke appreciation thread

[AlanJLegend]

I am a big fan of the notion that regardless of what people have to say about Clarke's batting in T20's it must be pointed out that he is captaining a side that has has gone undefeated in what must be around 10 games (including a tie), many of which have included absolute crushings of the opposition.

This being said, with the way he bats you have to assume it will only be so long before his slow-scoring costs us a game. Obviously due to him being the next text captain the selectors will not remove him (even though I think White should be our next LO captain with Pup as test captain), but surely he should be placed somewhere else in the order, or at leasted used an a way that if we are collapsing he can come out early, if we are scoring at 12rpo Dussey/White can come out first.

The thing that worries me is that Clarke does at times not seem capable of scoring boundaries in t20 games. I'm not suggesting that he should be able to come out and play like Warner or Afridi, but he is known as one of the best batsmen in the world. Surely he should be able to clear the rope more than he does?

 

[andyc]

Just doing a quick search to see if there is indeed any pressure on the media, found this article interesting:

Michael Clarke is becoming the modern-day Mike Brearley | The Australian

Think it's a bit early to be calling his captaincy Brearley-esque, but I found this part very illuminating:

Cricket Australia last night endorsed the selection panel's decision to appoint Clarke "110 per cent". "We're talking about a new-age sport that is writing its own rules about the concepts that count and Michael Clarke is a new-age all-rounder, T20 cricketer who understands the needs of the new game," a CA spokesman said.

"He can get through overs quickly, efficiently and effectively and take wickets and he's a batsman willing to sacrifice himself for the team going down the order.

"He's undefeated as a captain, which is exceptional."

Talk about damning with faint praise

 

[Teja.]

 

[Spark]

Just doing a quick search to see if there is indeed any pressure on the media, found this article interesting:

Michael Clarke is becoming the modern-day Mike Brearley | The Australian

Think it's a bit early to be calling his captaincy Brearley-esque, but I found this part very illuminating:





Talk about damning with faint praise

Yeah, I saw that

I don't think you'll see a great deal of pressure while we're winning, though...

 

[social]

Yeah he was.

The common theory is he's tightened up his technique so much to make him a MUCH better test player, that its affected his pyjama cricket game.

IMO he, Kallis, Dravid etc are all very similar in that they have a test mentality when it comes to batting and they struggle to shrug that off when it comes to the shorter format

I'd almost guarantee that they are amongst the most talented ball strikers in the world but it's what's between the ears that is the problem

 

[social]

Just doing a quick search to see if there is indeed any pressure on the media, found this article interesting:

Michael Clarke is becoming the modern-day Mike Brearley | The Australian

Think it's a bit early to be calling his captaincy Brearley-esque, but I found this part very illuminating:





Talk about damning with faint praise

Big difference is that Clarke can bat at the highest level, Brearley was literally hopeless

 

[Sir Alex]

Big difference is that Clarke can bat at the highest level, Brearley was literally hopeless

Has he captained in test matches? I think it was a tongue in cheek reference to his T20 captaincy.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Just doing a quick search to see if there is indeed any pressure on the media, found this article interesting:

Michael Clarke is becoming the modern-day Mike Brearley | The Australian

Think it's a bit early to be calling his captaincy Brearley-esque, but I found this part very illuminating:





Talk about damning with faint praise

Ha, interesting incongruity between CA's 110% backing of Clarke's primacy and the suggestion he's ready to give T20 away when/if Punter retires from ODIs after the next world cup.

 

[Top_Cat]

I'd be hesitant to pin all the credit on his captaincy, tbh. Captains in all forms are important and Clarke has been really good but, at last, picking two of the most destructive pace bowlers in T20 cricket instead of the guys they want to give a run before the next Test series has been a massive factor. Get the feeling they've gotten the selection right rather than the choice of captain.

Comparing him to Brearley is a bit of a stretch; the team is playing to its potential overall rather than playing well above itself. The batting is a worry, though.

 

[Furball]

I think the lack of questioning of Clarke's place could be to do with an in-built snobbery regarding the formats - he's an excellent Test batsman, so there's no way he can't play a bit of hit and giggle.

His poor showing in LO is mystifying, back at his ODI peak what made him so good in the middle order was how few deliveries he wasted, he had one of the lowest, if not the lowest dot ball percentages around. His problem in T20 isn't a lack of hitting ability as such, it's the fact that he can't get scoring at all, he doesn't push singles or twos anywhere near enough. Look at Mike Hussey - as he showed against Pakistan, he's got the ability to bomb it over the ropes when needed, but before he went mental in the last couple of overs, his strike rate was already quite high because he was regularly turning 1s into 2s.

 

[Sir Alex]

I think the lack of questioning of Clarke's place could be to do with an in-built snobbery regarding the formats - he's an excellent Test batsman, so there's no way he can't play a bit of hit and giggle.

Yes. India is also carrying such guys in Sehwag and Zaheer, who have been **** in T20s for a long time now, yet selectors somehow still believe they'll carry on their Test and ODI form into T20s.

 

[Top_Cat]

Without checking, didn't Sehwag at least have a decent IPL or has done so in the past?

 

[Sir Alex]

Without checking, didn't Sehwag at least have a decent IPL or has done so in the past?

His IPL stats are :

2008 - 34 @ 185, 3 50s from 14 matches
2009 - 20 @ 144, 1 50 from 11 matches
2010 - 25 @ 163, 3 50s from 14 matches

Nothing exceptional there. His International T20 record is also strictly modest since 2008.

 

[pasag]

I think the lack of questioning of Clarke's place could be to do with an in-built snobbery regarding the formats - he's an excellent Test batsman, so there's no way he can't play a bit of hit and giggle.

His poor showing in LO is mystifying, back at his ODI peak what made him so good in the middle order was how few deliveries he wasted, he had one of the lowest, if not the lowest dot ball percentages around. His problem in T20 isn't a lack of hitting ability as such, it's the fact that he can't get scoring at all, he doesn't push singles or twos anywhere near enough. Look at Mike Hussey - as he showed against Pakistan, he's got the ability to bomb it over the ropes when needed, but before he went mental in the last couple of overs, his strike rate was already quite high because he was regularly turning 1s into 2s.

It's amazing how many balls he leaves now. Refuses to hit anything for the first few overs these days. Just leaves everything on principle.

 

[Spark]

It's amazing how many balls he leaves now. Refuses to hit anything for the first few overs these days. Just leaves everything on principle.

Again - it's not that he can't. It's that he doesn't want to.

 

[Prince EWS]

His IPL stats are :

2008 - 34 @ 185, 3 50s from 14 matches
2009 - 20 @ 144, 1 50 from 11 matches
2010 - 25 @ 163, 3 50s from 14 matches

Nothing exceptional there. His International T20 record is also strictly modest since 2008.

Pretty awesome 2008 if you ask me.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I'd be hesitant to pin all the credit on his captaincy, tbh. Captains in all forms are important and Clarke has been really good but, at last, picking two of the most destructive pace bowlers in T20 cricket instead of the guys they want to give a run before the next Test series has been a massive factor. Get the feeling they've gotten the selection right rather than the choice of captain.

Comparing him to Brearley is a bit of a stretch; the team is playing to its potential overall rather than playing well above itself. The batting is a worry, though.

Think his captaincy has been decent without ever suggesting he's some unholy spawn of Taylor and Jardine, myself. He looked a little lost in the semi when Pakistan were motoring and, really, was pulled out of jail by a great last over from Tait and then (arguably) the best T20i innings to date.

I'd be pretty sure Cam White (or Haddin or Hussey snr or whoever) would've got Oz to the final with the line up they have too.

 

[Sir Alex]

Pretty awesome 2008 if you ask me.

Yes, but since then he's been quite mediocre since then. Nothing to make him an automatic choice for opening in T20s for the national team.

 

[Top_Cat]

His IPL stats are :

2008 - 34 @ 185, 3 50s from 14 matches
2009 - 20 @ 144, 1 50 from 11 matches
2010 - 25 @ 163, 3 50s from 14 matches

Nothing exceptional there. His International T20 record is also strictly modest since 2008.

Actually checked and he's just outside the top 10 scorers with a higher strikerate than anyone above him bar Uthappa;

Cricket Records | Indian Premier League, 2009/10 | Records | Most runs | Cricinfo.com

Decent numbers without being amongst the best, sure, but hardly reason to say he's being carried by team India. More to the point, lumping a slightly under-achieving but experienced Sehwag in with a clearly out-of-his depth and woefully inexperienced Clarke is very harsh on Sehwag. Although Clarke obviously makes comparison difficult by not even turning up for an IPL team or NSW....

 

[vic_orthdox]

Still reckon an average of 25 at a SR of 150+ is a valuable resource to a team. Especially in a side with a Gautim opening along side him, and genuine batting depth below him.