Michael Clarke vs the World

[The Passenger]

Great batsmen
Great tactician

But when it comes to his professional life he is very very self absorbed.

 

[SpecialComments]

A cricket man who I respect immensely offered me this comment on MJ Clarke a few years back, "when he stops playing (cricket) he won't have a friend in the world from the game - and it won't worry him one bit"

I found it a sad but accurate observation- he has burned a lot of people on his way to the top.

Agree with that sentiment.

Can you expand on what you think his top 5 burnings to get to the top - who they are in your opinion?

 

[peternorth]

A cricket man who I respect immensely offered me this comment on MJ Clarke a few years back, "when he stops playing (cricket) he won't have a friend in the world from the game - and it won't worry him one bit"

I found it a sad but accurate observation- he has burned a lot of people on his way to the top.

in some ways you gotta admire his conviction if that is the case.

 

[western royboy]

it may take a herculean effort to get up for this tournament and ashes for him. lionhearted effort you may say.

i liken his want and desire to kobe bryant in the nba who has played 18 years under incredible duress physically and mentally.

I have posted many times of walking into Kingsgrove Sports before 8am one morning and watching a kid come out of a net looking totally spent after an hour or so on the machine- in terms of individual focus - there is non better. But cricket has the added issue of players being with each other for extended periods of time and the team dynamics become an issue, harmony is important. If I was cynical you could suggest that Kharma may be starting to catch up with Clarke, given the role he played in ending 1-2 careers ahead of their time.

 

[Belnakor]

A cricket man who I respect immensely offered me this comment on MJ Clarke a few years back, "when he stops playing (cricket) he won't have a friend in the world from the game - and it won't worry him one bit"

the Hayden Way (tm)

 

[western royboy]

Agree with that sentiment.

Can you expand on what you think his top 5 burnings to get to the top - who they are in your opinion?

He's burnt people at all levels. I'd have no idea where to start and stop.

 

[The_Reaper]

the Hayden Way (tm)

Haydos has Langer at least

 

[Belnakor]

Agree with that sentiment.

Can you expand on what you think his top 5 burnings to get to the top - who they are in your opinion?

Hussey and Katich would be the obvious ones. Hussey is just too nice a guy to come out and have a crack at him.

 

[The_Reaper]

Agree with that sentiment.

Can you expand on what you think his top 5 burnings to get to the top - who they are in your opinion?

Katich and Symonds?

 

[QAFL_Fan]

I had significant dealings with Clarke, Watson, Hauritz, Johnson, SMarsh, McDonald, Klinger (and a number of other players around the 31-34 age group that went on to first class cricket and were involved in representative junior cricket)

Without doubt, Watson and Clarke were the standout cricketers in that age group by a huge margin. Probably not cooincidentally, they were also the biggest tools I came across.

There has been animosity between those 2 blokes since they were about 13, because they were always going to play test cricket. You just knew it. Watson was the more gifted of the 2 and got the jump on Clarke, often getting picked in national sides in higher age groups (playing up as they say). He then played much better first class cricket and made his national debut before Clarke, before injury struck.

Nothing would have pleased Clarke more than seeing Watson's career curtailed by injury. Just as when Clarke was given the honour of captaining the Aus U/19 side in Sri Lanka, much to the chagrin of Watson (who was playing his 3rd year in the team) and was then sacked as Captain and dropped from the side mid tour after all the players basically refused to play under him. Watson would have been overjoyed by this, but his glee shortlived when they installed Hauritz as captain instead of him.

Some of the animositiy between these guys is so ego driven and goes back 20 years. Clarke has most certainly had the last laugh, being elevated to test captain and having the career Watson only dreams of. But Watson would quietly be revelling in the troubles Clarke is having now.

On the other hand, Johnson, Hauritz and McDonald in particular - you couldn't meet nicer blokes. I imagine Mitch Johnson would be happy if he didn't have to play cricket with either Clarke or Watto after the crap he dealt with from them when he first came onto the scene 15 years back.

Forget what you see publicly, some of these blokes can't stand each other. Watson and Clarke would have zero time for each other as many people know, but Johnson would have no time for either of them either. Then you have Watson, who is very popular with the playing group outside his own immediate age group who knew him when he was a teenage a-hole and you have a potentially toxic dressing room!

Brad Haddin is pretty much the only universally like bloke in the test cricket setup, which is probably why they are so hell bent on keeping him. (Steve smith as well probably)

 

[western royboy]

in some ways you gotta admire his conviction if that is the case.

No one gets to the top of the tree without significant help along the way - to drop off people once they can no longer help you is not a trait that I would be proud of.

 

[Damon_3388]

Then to hear him analyse teammates talking about their weaknesses and almost saying what Indian bowlers should be doing to get them out, was highly embarrassing for himself. If I was a player in that team, would I want a captain back like that? Answer is No.

Why get him in there if he's not going to offer any insider insight?

 

[western royboy]

I had significant dealings with Clarke, Watson, Hauritz, Johnson, SMarsh, McDonald, Klinger (and a number of other players around the 31-34 age group that went on to first class cricket and were involved in representative junior cricket)

Without doubt, Watson and Clarke were the standout cricketers in that age group by a huge margin. Probably not cooincidentally, they were also the biggest tools I came across.

There has been animosity between those 2 blokes since they were about 13, because they were always going to play test cricket. You just knew it. Watson was the more gifted of the 2 and got the jump on Clarke, often getting picked in national sides in higher age groups (playing up as they say). He then played much better first class cricket and made his national debut before Clarke, before injury struck.

Nothing would have pleased Clarke more than seeing Watson's career curtailed by injury. Just as when Clarke was given the honour of captaining the Aus U/19 side in Sri Lanka, much to the chagrin of Watson (who was playing his 3rd year in the team) and was then sacked as Captain and dropped from the side mid tour after all the players basically refused to play under him. Watson would have been overjoyed by this, but his glee shortlived when they installed Hauritz as captain instead of him.

Some of the animositiy between these guys is so ego driven and goes back 20 years. Clarke has most certainly had the last laugh, being elevated to test captain and having the career Watson only dreams of. But Watson would quietly be revelling in the troubles Clarke is having now.

On the other hand, Johnson, Hauritz and McDonald in particular - you could meet nice blokes. I imagine Mitch Johnson would be happy if he didn't have to play cricket with either Clarke or Watto after the crap he dealt with from them when he first came onto the scene 15 years back.

Forget what you see publicly, some of these blokes can't stand each other. Watson and Clarke would have zero time for each other as many people know, but Johnson would have no time for either of them either. Then you have Watson, who is very popular with the playing group outside his own immediate age group who knew him when he was a teenage a-hole and you have a potentially toxic dressing room!

Brad Haddin is pretty much the only universally like bloke in the test cricket setup, which is probably why they are so hell bent on keeping him. (Steve smith as well probably)

Happy to back this view, McDonald and Klinger are two of the nicest guys you could meet.

 

[Son of Skeletor]

i liken his want and desire to kobe bryant in the nba who has played 18 years under incredible duress physically and mentally.

Achilles injuries, Colorado courtrooms, the Kwame Brown years... the man has seen it all.

 

[Belnakor]

Brad Haddin is pretty much the only universally like bloke in the test cricket setup, which is probably why they are so hell bent on keeping him. (Steve smith as well probably)

Shaun Marsh is alright. As long as you like talking to an inanimate carbon rod.

 

[SpecialComments]

Why get him in there if he's not going to offer any insider insight?

When you are the current Australian cricket captain, offering commentary views about players within "his" teams about weaknesses I don't think is the right way to go about it. Players are apparently up in arms about the insights he gave and rightly so.

 

[western royboy]

Which former Test Cricketers as yet unwritten autobiography is the one you most want to read?

 

[QAFL_Fan]

Just quietly, I rckon Punter's book would have been significantly different if Clarke wasn't the darling of Australia and scoring runs at will when he was due to release it.

I heard from many close to him that there were huge edits to avoid the inevitable s**t storm.

I imagine Katich is holding fire, so he can have a free shot.

 

[The_Reaper]

Which former Test Cricketers as yet unwritten autobiography is the one you most want to read?

Symonds

 

[STFU Donnie]

No one gets to the top of the tree without significant help along the way - to drop off people once they can no longer help you is not a trait that I would be proud of.

There's an old saying: Be careful how you treat people on your way to the top, as you tend to meet them again on the way back down.

 

[Belnakor]

Symonds

i'd rule out the "auto" bit of that then.

 

[western royboy]

Just quietly, I rckon Punter's book would have been significantly different if Clarke wasn't the darling of Australia and scoring runs at will when he was due to release it.

I heard from many close to him that there were huge edits to avoid the inevitable s**t storm.

I imagine Katich is holding fire, so he can have a free shot.

I know Katich to a degree, I doubt he'll ever spill the beans publicly, but basically Clarke ended his Test and Shield career. Andrew "Roy" Symonds is the book that Clarke will fear most if it is ever written.

 

[STFU Donnie]

i'd rule out the "auto" bit of that then.

LOL. Unless it's a colouring book.

 

[western royboy]

Hussey and Katich would be the obvious ones. Hussey is just too nice a guy to come out and have a crack at him.

Have a read of Hussey's book - it's very good. There is enough ammo there to draw some fairly accurate conclusions of what the set up is like.

 

[Damon_3388]

When you are the current Australian cricket captain, offering commentary views about players within "his" teams about weaknesses I don't think is the right way to go about it. Players are apparently up in arms about the insights he gave and rightly so.

This would be my message to them: "Get better."