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VoR said:FFS, the bloke has a FC average in the mid 30s. He doesn't warrent a place in the Test XI, let alone be it's captain.
Comes with the colour of his cap.cameronk said:Finally someone is talking some sense. How Clarke can get a look in on the test side when you have the likes of Maher, Love, Hodge, Hussey (both), Elliot, Rogers (Who I have a feeling will be the next added to the squad) & North all playing better I will never know.
Ted Pellitts said:would be too soon IMO. i don't want clarke become the riewoldt of cricket (ie big head).
one day Watson will captain the ODI side, clarke won't captain the test side for at least another 7 years.
Black Thunder said:Clarke probably won't be the next captain, but don't be suprised to see him captain one day. Has an amazing cricketing brain for his age.
And for those bagging him:
2002/2003 First Class season:
763 runs (4th highest in SS) at 47.68 (7th highest for players with 5 or more games) at a strike rate of 61.73 (8th highest for players with 200 runs or more) and 4 centuries (most in the competition). This at just 21 years of age is something pretty good. Also add in a half century for Australia A against England in a 3 day tour game.
His performances in 2002/03 are as good as just about any batsmen in the country outside of the Australian team. Only played the two FC games in 03/04 in which he failed in both. But given he is just 21 and Australia is quite an old team, he's selection into the international scene is very much justified. And his performances in the international scene have certainly been upto standard avering a notch over 40 at a strike rate of 89 in his 30-odd ODI's thus far.
Yes, his First Class career average may still only be in the mid to high 30's, but that is taking into context what happened in 1999/2000, which really is quite irrelevant.
Dont think anyone doubts his ability but you need results before you can just waltz into the side.Why should there be one set of rules for him and another for other aspiring test players.Guys like Love,Hussey and Hodge have been chalking up runs for seasons.Minkus_Swan said:Don't worry, most of Australia will be convinced of Clarke's ability after this upcoming season. He's only a good season away from the team.
agree with Love and Hodge.Dog Town said:Dont think anyone doubts his ability but you need results before you can just waltz into the side.Why should there be one set of rules for him and another for other aspiring test players.Guys like Love,Hussey and Hodge have been chalking up runs for seasons.
His one day form probably gives you the wrong impression aswell.There is still 4 or 5 blokes who have records far superior to Clarkes and where reasonable should be above him in the pecking order.There is plenty to be said for giving young blookes a crack but some of those other guys are still relatively young in cricket terms.Black Thunder said:just on Michael Hussey.
Who i should actually say i rate him techincally as a batsmen, but obviousbly he either doesn't have it mentally or he thrives on pounding sub standard bowlers.
Over the last 4 years:
2000/01 FC season: 553 at 30.72 (1 ton)
2001 FC season: 2055 at 79.03 (5 tons including a 329*)
2001/02 FC season: 600 at 35.29 (2 tons)
2002 FC season: 1442 at 68.66 (5 tons including a 310*)
2002/03 FC season: 348 at 34.80 (0 tons)
2003 FC season: 1697 at 89.31 (6 tons including a 331*)
2003/04 FC season: 752 at 41.77 (1 ton)
2004 FC season: 351 at 35.10 (0 tons - poor season)
so basically, his performances in the Sheffield Shield are not upto the standards required to get picked for Australia. I remember when i found that out i was very suprised.
cameronk said:I can't understand how Rogers has not got a place on a tour with the national side yet, what more does a guy have to do. He has had 3 VERY good years.
mayhem176 said:The bottom line with Clarke is age, and the fact that no one from his generation is even close to showing the potential, or posting the runs that he has posted. As well as that, the only batsmen in the next age bracket who has demanded selection is probably Martin Love, but, the time has come and gone for him really, so, they are moving on to long term selections.
I think the idea with Clarke is looking to the future, if they bring in Hodge, Hussey, Love or Katich (on a more permanent basis) they will have Langer, Hayden, Martyn, Lehmann and either one of the above mentioned players retire within a year or two of eachother. I think the idea is to space out the players that leave, and let Clarke get experience with these great players we have now so that when they leave he is right to go, rather than keeping him out with a bloke who will probably retire at the same time as these guys (ie. Martin Love).
I'm sick of the bloody word POTENTIAL. Fact is he is not scoring the amount of runs required to get in the test squad, never mind talk of captaining the country.mayhem176 said:The bottom line with Clarke is age, and the fact that no one from his generation is even close to showing the potential, or posting the runs that he has posted. As well as that, the only batsmen in the next age bracket who has demanded selection is probably Martin Love, but, the time has come and gone for him really, so, they are moving on to long term selections.
I think the idea with Clarke is looking to the future, if they bring in Hodge, Hussey, Love or Katich (on a more permanent basis) they will have Langer, Hayden, Martyn, Lehmann and either one of the above mentioned players retire within a year or two of eachother. I think the idea is to space out the players that leave, and let Clarke get experience with these great players we have now so that when they leave he is right to go, rather than keeping him out with a bloke who will probably retire at the same time as these guys (ie. Martin Love).
you didn't see what Clarke did in 02/03 to get into his chance at the international scene??likka said:I'm sick of the bloody word POTENTIAL. Fact is he is not scoring the amount of runs required to get in the test squad, never mind talk of captaining the country.
His form last year was ordinary, and is not making any runs in county cricket either. Most other Aussie imports are making a killing.
If he was playing in WA he wouldn't be talked about in the same way. Ever notice how Katich makes a ton of runs on the WACA, but it took a move to NSW to get a gig in the national team. No coincidence there.
Should be struggling to make the NSW side, never mind the Aussie side.
One season does not maketh a player. Hodge, Elliot, Love, Katich have made piles of first class runs over a number of years and deserve their chance. Clarke needs to CONSISTANTLY make runs and dominate attacks, which he simply has not done.Black Thunder said:you didn't see what Clarke did in 02/03 to get into his chance at the international scene??
and you have missed him average in the 40's over his 15-18 months in the ODI team.....??
he will be because he comes from NSW, CA get withdrawal symptoms when they don't have a NSW captainY2J said:undefineddo u think Michael Clarke will be the next skipper after Ricky Ponting??