Michael Clarke's captaincy

[social]

Half trackers from bowlers bowling at well over 140 clicks and plenty of Test match experience and well know for their aggressiveness.

Did you ever happen to think that those might be good balls?

Not to a no. 10 who is well known as a complete bunny and is simply having a swing

Couple of overs at off stump and Oz win by 80

15 overs of almost exclusively wide and short **** and they lose

 

[GIMH]

 

[howardj]

According to the Warne/Chappelli/Clarke school of captaincy, you're a genius captain provided you attack, attack, attack.

Bring in six slips, a bat pad and short cover...you're a gun skipper.

Serouisly though, there's not much wrong with Clarke tacticaly, but the reservation I have about him is his people skills and his team-centredness:

It cannot be a healthy thing for an elite sporting team when, after a deflating end to a Test match on a tour of England, the vice-captain heads to London in a Ferrari with his glamorous girlfriend while the rest of the group leave as one on the team bus. One can imagine the opinions that might have been quietly shared when the team arrived at its London hotel to see the Ferrari comfortably parked outside.

 

[sifter132]

On a final note before I leave: We will see a much better bowling performance when Ponting comes back as the skipper. Clarke's in-experience was found out here, he assumed SL would give their final 2 wickets away but they didn't.

Ponting would have sniffed an opportunity and gone for the kill. Like the old Aussie teams of the past, do not let the opposition get back into the game, bury them while they are down!

Clarke did go for the kill. It's just that his killer (Mitch) was bowling pies. You can prove that it's the right move to bowl Mitch because that was the ONLY bowler that Mathews shielded Malinga from. So it's obviously the bowler they fear most. After Mitch's 3 over spell during the powerplay had ended, Malinga and Mathews were both going, even Doherty wasn't giving them much trouble at the end. Nothing seemed to work after that Powerplay and nothing missed the middle of the bat. It was just one of those nights.

 

[Burgey]

Stories on the radio here this morning saying Clarke lacks the confidence of senior players to take over as Test captain from Ponting. Word is they want North. I kid you not...

Just off to the doctors after dropping a 25kg dumb bell on my foot when I heard it.

 

[TumTum]

Clarke did go for the kill. It's just that his killer (Mitch) was bowling pies. You can prove that it's the right move to bowl Mitch because that was the ONLY bowler that Mathews shielded Malinga from. So it's obviously the bowler they fear most. After Mitch's 3 over spell during the powerplay had ended, Malinga and Mathews were both going, even Doherty wasn't giving them much trouble at the end. Nothing seemed to work after that Powerplay and nothing missed the middle of the bat. It was just one of those nights.

Yeah of course it got harder the longer they batted. But what I am talking about is attacking Malinga just as he came to the crease.

When Malinga hit a couple of 4s of Dohery, Clarke set most of the field back, which just released all the pressure there was on Malinga.

What Clarke should have done is bring even more fielders closer for Doherty and encourage Malinga to go over the top again. Pretty common sense to do this when you have a team 8 down needing another 140 to win

 

[Spark]

He couldn't set most of the field back, it was a powerplay. Malinga didn't need any more encouragement to hit over the top.

 

[TumTum]

He couldn't set most of the field back, it was a powerplay. Malinga didn't need any more encouragement to hit over the top.

Well he set the most he could back.

I am talking about silly point and short leg and short cover and short midwicket, not a bloody cover fielder right in the edge of the circle. What kind of pressure does that give to the batsmen?

 

[Spark]

Enough to force them to hit over the top like in every other power play.

 

[TumTum]

Enough to force them to hit over the top like in every other power play.

And they hit the ball very well. Wouldn't have though had there been pressure.

 

[Furball]

And they hit the ball very well. Wouldn't have though had there been pressure.

And there wasn't pressure because Australia's bowlers bowled rubbish.

 

[Spark]

And there wasn't pressure because Australia's bowlers bowled rubbish.

There is also the fact they needed about 3 an over.

 

[TumTum]

There is also the fact they needed about 3 an over.

Not when SL were 8/100 in the 20th over.

Clarke had many many many runs to play with, yet he chose to do nothing.

 

[pup11]

Eventhough I hate Clarke as a player, I think he is pretty decent captain, and to blame him for the defeat in the 1st ODI is just wrong.
His only handicap was that his 'strike bowlers' were piss poor, leave alone bowling a yorker, they hardly bowled a single ball at the stumps.
With Smith injured, he tried every other bowler, gave them attacking fields, so don't know how, he holds any blame here.

 

[Spark]

He pulled off Doherty at a crucial juncture - looked an odd move at the time, looks a rather bad move in hindsight.

 

[Flem274*]

Eventhough I hate Clarke as a player, I think he is pretty decent captain, and to blame him for the defeat in the 1st ODI is just wrong.
His only handicap was that his 'strike bowlers' were piss poor, leave alone bowling a yorker, they hardly bowled a single ball at the stumps.
With Smith injured, he tried every other bowler, gave them attacking fields, so don't know how, he holds any blame here.

What about your username?

 

[pup11]

He pulled off Doherty at a crucial juncture - looked an odd move at the time, looks a rather bad move in hindsight.

Jeez, mate... with No.10 at the crease, you would back your new ball bowlers to knock him over!!

 

[Spark]

He bowled him for an over in the PP though. I dunno, it struck me as odd at the time.