Michael Clarke

[Howe_zat]

If you haven't read Jarrod Kimber's Clarke article yet, what the pissing hell are you doing?

Michael Clarke: a battle for greatness and love | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[Riggins]

wonder what geeves said.

 

[Black_Warrior]

If you haven't read Jarrod Kimber's Clarke article yet, what the pissing hell are you doing?

Michael Clarke: a battle for greatness and love | Cricket | ESPN Cricinfo

I was waiting for Kimber's piece

 

[Jono]

yes he's summed it up well. Clarke could never completely win the Australian public over no matter what he did. Baffling really.

 

[Red]

South Africa were up next, and it was in Cape Town that Clarke did his best work. Australia were 1-1 in their three-Test series. Australia won the toss and batted. The Australia batsmen had failed twice in the previous match, only Warner had looked comfortable. And Morne Morkel was fired up.

In the 41st over Morkel started bowling short to Clarke. That over, he hit Clarke in the ribs. In the 43rd over he hit him on the arm. The 45th over he hit him on the head, hand and in the gut. The hit on the arm broke Clarke's arm. That was an hour into Clarke's innings. In all, with that broken arm, Clarke made an unbeaten 161 in 430 minutes. Well over 300 of them with that break. He carried a tired team to a Test win, a series win, and they beat the world's No. 1 team to take that crown themselves.

Love this from Kimber's article. Anyone who thinks Clarke (or any other test batsman really) is soft can GAGF.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

yes he's summed it up well. Clarke could never completely win the Australian public over no matter what he did. Baffling really.

Not really. He was seen as a pretty boy, there's always going to be a backlash against someone like that from the bogan public.

I never really liked him, didn't rate him for a long time and hated watching him bat (the way he drives so far away from his body ****s me) but I have grown a lot of respect for him as a player and a person. Should run for PM.

 

[Jono]

Not really. He was seen as a pretty boy, there's always going to be a backlash against someone like that from the bogan public.

Yeah I get that (and the article deals with that), but then he:
- tells Jimmy Anderson to get ready for a broken ****ng arm
- wins the Ashes 5-0
- scores a ton vs. SA in SA with a broken arm himself.

Plenty of **** bogans love in there.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Clarke was a lot like ponting for me personally in many ways. Hated him as a person, because honestly for a long time he was a ****, but begrudgingly respected him because of his terrifyingly good peak as a batsman and because he did become more likeable (but still a bit of a ****) as his career went on.

 

[Red]

Watson's a bit like that too. Hated the petulant flog for ages, but lately when I hear him interviewed I really like him and he seems like a really nice, decent guy. Maturity does that.

 

[harsh.ag]

One of the Aussie greats for sure. The article was stupendous, but could have done with stories of people who have had his back through it all.

On a side note, is it just me or does it not feel like Australia won the World Cup as such?

 

[Red]

On a side note, is it just me or does it not feel like Australia won the World Cup as such?

Seems to be serious doom and gloom around Aust cricket when in reality we've just dropped one test (albeit pretty dramatically).

I actually don't think the deficiencies in our batting stocks are completely dire tbh.

 

[harsh.ag]

Seems to be serious doom and gloom around Aust cricket when in reality we've just dropped one test (albeit pretty dramatically).

I actually don't think the deficiencies in our batting stocks are completely dire tbh.

It's not about that. I have been feeling it since basically the month after they won it. It didn't feel like there was a new World Cup winner. Maybe just me and #Won'tGiveItBack blues

 

[Zinzan]

One of the Aussie greats for sure. The article was stupendous, but could have done with stories of people who have had his back through it all.

On a side note, is it just me or does it not feel like Australia won the World Cup as such?

Very fine cricketer without any doubt. But one of Australia greats? I'm not so sure; depends how one defines 'greats'. He certainly wouldn't make my Australian 1st or 2nd all-time XI & might even struggle to make my 3rd.

Middle order (no.s 3-6) Aust batsmen I rate above him off the top of my head are;

N Harvey
G Chappell
Bradman
Ponting
Border
S Waugh
S McCabe
D Walters

 

[Zinzan]

It's not about that. I have been feeling it since basically the month after they won it. It didn't feel like there was a new World Cup winner. Maybe just me and #Won'tGiveItBack blues

Jeez, from a NZ POV, I certainly felt there was.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Very fine cricketer without any doubt. But one of Australia greats? I'm not so sure; depends how one defines 'greats'. He certainly wouldn't make my Australian 1st or 2nd all-time XI & might even struggle to make my 3rd.

Uh that's just because Australia has produced more greats than anyone... holding that against Clarke is silly. He's definitely a great player by almost any definition imo.

 

[OverratedSanity]

It's not about that. I have been feeling it since basically the month after they won it. It didn't feel like there was a new World Cup winner. Maybe just me and #Won'tGiveItBack blues

We'd be bored if we'd won it five times too.

 

[Jono]

Uh that's just because Australia has produced more greats than anyone... holding that against Clarke is silly. He's definitely a great player by almost any definition imo.

We'd be bored if we'd won it five times too.

yep, both very good posts.

 

[Zinzan]

Uh that's just because Australia has produced more greats than anyone... holding that against Clarke is silly. He's definitely a great player by almost any definition imo.

Not at all, It depends entirely on the definition of 'greats' that one uses. If someone defines Australian 'all-time greats" as say the top 20 Aust cricketers of all-time, he may just struggle to make that list. But If someone includes 30-40 players, then he'd likely make it.

This reminds me, I've been meaning to create a poll asking this very question, on the approximately number of players people refer to when talking about their 'all-time' great cricketers, and whether that's their 11 top cricketers, 20 or even 50.

 

[Jono]

I don't think it should be limited to numbers (such as your top 20 example) because as years go by players who were once in the top 20 players for Aus of all time, but then fall out because new great players come, don't become any less great.

 

[Spikey]

Very fine cricketer without any doubt. But one of Australia greats? I'm not so sure; depends how one defines 'greats'. He certainly wouldn't make my Australian 1st or 2nd all-time XI & might even struggle to make my 3rd.

Middle order (no.s 3-6) Aust batsmen I rate above him off the top of my head are;

N Harvey
G Chappell
Bradman
Ponting
Border
S Waugh
S McCabe
D Walters

dont see how clarke isn't right in with mccabe and walters, if not better tbh