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Michael Clarke
- Thread starter Xuhaib
- Start date
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Seriously, in every thread?
chaminda_00
Hall of Fame Member
On the original point in this thread. I personally think he has long way to go to be ATG and main reason is his consistency away from home. It seems most people just see the one big hundred in tough conditions away from home and just think he good away from home. Overall he is pretty average away from home and so far has just pulled occasional good performance, like most so called home track bullies.
Though majority of them have been when the chips are down. Steve Waugh had a similar record at the same stage in his career, only scored runs when the team needed and scored nothing away from home when the top order scored runs.
I think he has a fair bit of work to do on his game to preform consistently away from home, rather then one good innings every blue moon.
Though majority of them have been when the chips are down. Steve Waugh had a similar record at the same stage in his career, only scored runs when the team needed and scored nothing away from home when the top order scored runs.
I think he has a fair bit of work to do on his game to preform consistently away from home, rather then one good innings every blue moon.
benchmark00
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What countries has Clarke not made hundreds in? They're hardly once in a blue moon knocks...
chaminda_00
Hall of Fame Member
Averages 40 odd, too lazy to work the exact average including natural games.
Bangladesh is the only country he hasn't got a ton. Averages about a ton every 5 tests away. Which isn't that bad, but it on par with other so called home track bullies.
- Sehwag averages 44 away, 10 hundreds from 52 tests away. Only counties he doesn't have tons is Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and New Zealand.
- Jayawarene averages 40 away, 9 hundred from 58 tests away. Tons in each country except South Africa.
- MoYo averages 44 away, 12 hundreds in 57 tests away. Tons in each country except South Africa.
Mike Hussey also has similar inconsistent record away from home. Probably worse then all four players mentioned in this post. But he has scored some notable hundreds away from home and everyone forgets about the other 9 innings in between where he scored very little.
Personally I don't think any of them are home track bully, as average 40 away from home is good effect. But none are ATG due to their inconsistency away from home.
Spark
Global Moderator
How many of those are away from the subcontinent? That's the actual point here, when people criticise them they criticise them for being poor against seam and bounce. Tests in SL/India are hardly the marker for that. I mean, (sensible) people don't just look at averages and then come to the conclusion that they must be home track bullies. Usually there's an actual technical weakness in their game - ie. against seam, or against spin - that leads to the appellation. Clarke has problems against quality swing/seam, sure, but not that much or he wouldn't have averaged 60+ in the 09 Ashes when the rest of our blokes had no idea what to do when the ball moved more than three inches off the straight. And, well, against spin...
Mussey is a bit of a HTB though.
Mussey is a bit of a HTB though.
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benchmark00
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I find it crazy that people are amazed that players have a better record at home than away, and actually have that as a criticism. What do you expect?
As long as the discrepancy isn't to the point where their away record is horrible, which Clarke's is far from, as you noted making a century once every five tests (which I'd expect to get even better over the next couple of years), then it's fine.
As long as the discrepancy isn't to the point where their away record is horrible, which Clarke's is far from, as you noted making a century once every five tests (which I'd expect to get even better over the next couple of years), then it's fine.
chaminda_00
Hall of Fame Member
Jayawardene and Sehwag are 35 away from SC. Both were getting close to 40 mark before last season and went back down hill. MoYo is an impressive 45 away from SC. There are difference between pitches in Sri Lanka, compared to India or Pakistan. Those difference are one of reason why MoYo has poor records in Sri Lanka and India compared to Pakistan. Those difference might not be massive. But it also very naive to just say the runs in other SC countries don't count because they are similar pitches.
It like saying the runs Clarke scored in New Zealand, South Africa, England and West Indies don't count as similar pitches compared to SC pitches in general. If Clarke's only away matches were SC pitches then his average would also be in the mid 30s.
I don't think Clarke has any major technique issues, it just a mental thing like MoYo away from home. Jayawardene and Sehwag sorted out their technique issues during the peak of their careers, but they came back at the later stages of their careers.
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uvelocity
International Coach
chaminda_00
Hall of Fame Member
The mental thing is starting his innings away from home in conditions that offer more swing/seam/turn then Australian pitches. On Australian tracks in general you don't have to worry as much about significant sideways movement. If you watch the way he bats in Australia he generally goes out and plays he shots straight away, which you can do at home in conditions you know like the back of your hand. But away from home when the ball is moving around a bit more, be it seam or turn, you can't always play your shot straight away until you get used the conditions properly.
If you watch he big innings overseas, it has always been when the team in trouble and he has to get his eye in. If he batted like that every time overseas he would score more runs. That is mental/temperament thing not technical issue.
His issue is starting his innings overseas.
There is also a slight technique issue playing spin on turning tracks. His technique against spinners is tailored so much attacking spinners by using your feet to them. You can't always do that when the pitch is turning and he gets caught quite a fair bit.
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Contra
Cricketer Of The Year
Couldn't agree more, that's like the only thing about Clarke I don't like because its so unnecessary and pointless, and a major major reason why he's struggled against IND over the last 2 tours. He keeps on going down the wicket for no reason almost every ball to the spinners, and the commentators would start their routine "oh Clarke such a good player against spin using his feet blah blah" and I'm just sitting there laughing at how risky and unnecessary it is, and eventually he would just get out.
If he would just calm the hell down and not put so much emphasis on coming down the wicket to combat the spinners he would score so much more runs in Indian conditions, because I genuinely do believe he's a good player of spin bowling overall.
Best batsman in the world, and could possibly end up the best #5 in modern cricket at this rate.
His average is skyrocketing every match he plays, now @ 52, and a big chance to notch up his second triple tomorrow.
Amazingly, in a 12 month period, Clarke may have broken the ground records at the SCG, Gabba and Adelaide.
His average is skyrocketing every match he plays, now @ 52, and a big chance to notch up his second triple tomorrow.
Amazingly, in a 12 month period, Clarke may have broken the ground records at the SCG, Gabba and Adelaide.
