The Michael Clarke appreciation thread

[Jayzamann]

tbh, you'd be hard pressed to quantify captaincy. Even though it is easy to point out good and bad captaincy.

 

[pasag]

Haddin

 

[Streetwise]

What a fantastic captain Clarke has turned out to be. Dhoni had a much better team but his captaincy cost them.

 

[pasag]

Disagree they have a much better team.

We have better openers and fast bowlers. They have better middle order and spinners. When Sehwag comes back it'd tip it massively in their favour though.

 

[Spark]

He's been a good captain, but it's always tough to rate captaincy.

 

[Nate]

Clarke absolutely hopeless in the semi so far. Captaining like a scared boy and bowled himself in an incredibly stupid situation.

Still to bat though.

 

[Jayzamann]

Really odd decisions being made today, not least the decision to bowl first.

 

[King Pietersen]

Things were looking good with the bat for a while. Was striking at over 160 after hitting a boundary off Ajmal, and is now back to his usual form, striking under 100 now.

Oh OK then. He's chucked his wicket away. Quality batting. Has outplayed Collingwood with the bat though I reckon, so he's not done too bad

 

[Furball]

How the **** the selectors justify picking a captain who has yet to play a single match in the Big Bash is beyond me.

 

[King Pietersen]

Collingwood's only played 4 matches for Durham in T20, averaging 13 with a HS of 35. Though I guess at least Collingwood's played a bit of IPL, and done pretty well.

 

[Sir Alex]

Dismissed 5 times in scoring 65 from 87 balls @ 74. 2 fours 1 six.

Surely played his last t20i?

 

[Furball]

Collingwood's only played 4 matches for Durham in T20, averaging 13 with a HS of 35. Though I guess at least Collingwood's played a bit of IPL, and done pretty well.

Internationals aside, the only T20 experience Clarke has is 6 games for Hampshire in 2004. It's the equivelant of David Warner being Australia's Test captain.

Thing is, if the Big Bash is scheduled so that the Australian internationals can play more of it, would you pick Clarke if you were a NSW selector?

 

[social]

How the **** the selectors justify picking a captain who has yet to play a single match in the Big Bash is beyond me.

Politics

 

[Nate]

Semi vs Pakistan -

Chooses to bowl first
Captains hopelessly
Bowls one over for 13 runs
Stalls momentum in our run-chase with 17 off 19.
...and despite our chances looking as flimsy as a Carribean flag stick, we get home.

WAG.

 

[GIMH]

Got out for a duck for me on Ashes 09 tonight

 

[Debris]

Does this mean that it is now open season on criticizing players in their appreciation threads? I would just like to say that his scores have improved as the tournament has gone on.

 

[GraemeSmith]

I would just like to say that his scores have improved as the tournament has gone on.

Talk about finding the silver lining Do you work for a politician? That was some A-level spin right there.

 

[andyc]

4 innings, 48 runs @ 12, at an SR of 70.59

5 innings, 65 runs @ 13, at an SR of 74.71

Surely this has to be the last straw? Going at less than a run a ball while chasing 190+?

 

[pasag]

Does this mean that it is now open season on criticizing players in their appreciation threads?

You know, it's quite annoying.

We need more stuff like this in here:

Skipper's best, says Haddin

 

[Jono]

Lol @ Clarke saying he can't wait to get to Barbados, cos he needs runs.

Funnily, you don't even need runs really. Just don't bat and hope the others bat as freakish as they can.