What does Clarke need to do...

[Tyberious Funk]

...to earn your respect?

I'm not necessarily a fan, but I personally think his captaincy on the field has been excellent. Streets ahead of Ponting. And the team as a whole looks like a really tight outfit. Worlds apart the side that got thrashed by the Poms. Sure, Clarke can't take all the credit for that. But he's a part of the revitalisation.

And his batting of late has been excellent. It's early days, but I reckon he may just have taken it the next level.

Do the haterz out there still hate him? Or has he changed your mind? If not, what else does he need to do?

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

He's a star, at his best his batting looks sublime. Once he reaches 50 it's almost a given that he'll have a real crack at the ton, and I think he's even better at going on with it since becoming captain.

 

[frankrizzo]

Tactically he miles ahead of ponting, and he's probably been the best bat in the team since the start of the 09 ashes.

From what i have seen i don't particularly like him as a bloke but that also doesn't really matter, my family is catholic and so i wouldn't have wanted to have a beer with a bigot like sir don but that doesn't mean i would trash his cricket performance.

You don't need to like the man to respect the on field performance and not rating on field performance because of issues with a persons off field personality does seem childish.

p.s. please don't hammer me because im not a fan of clarke off the pitch, i never usually bring that up as i feel it's not a genuine issue for a cricket board i simply was stating how i see him as that's what the op wanted to know.

 

[red+black]

I think his hair's a bit too short.

 

[dumb]

sleeve tatts pff

the first time he brought on a part time bowler, you knew he was going to try things and was not stubborn like ponting. giving pup the captaincy has brought out good things from the both of them. putting lyon up the order was not one of his masterstrokes though.

are cricket fans that spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about clarke off the field, entirely heterosexual? i'm not convinced.

 

[Upgrayedd]

I changed his mind, His on-field preformance has been excellent since he took over and his stratagy with the rotating bowlers has beenvery sucessful of late

 

[MisterMarcus]

It's two different issues.

You can respect a person's on-field performance while still thinking he's a knob.

And you can think someone's a great bloke but not good enough on the field.

 

[Gak Attack]

I think any cricket fan respects him now, I think he has been great captaining the side and has batted quite well since taking over. However like others I don't really find him the sort of bloke you would want to have a beer with, where as I would of loved to have sat down with Tubs, Border, Punter etc... The whole image thing will always annoy the over 25's I think, we are happy that he is playing well and captaining the side but if his form drops or Australia starts losing badly you know he will cop the criticism far more quickly than others would of.

 

[Tazwegian]

I have always liked Pup as a cricketer. The criticism he cops is mainly absolute rubbish from people who are all too ready to bag anyone when they are down. He is now one of Australia's all time great batsmen, and that must really hurt all his haters out there.

 

[danielnajdek]

Needs to make a double hundred tomorrow

 

[CHIEF SMACKAHOE]

He is now one of Australia's all time great batsmen, and that must really hurt all his haters out there.

he's a good batsman but let's stay sensible here. he's still some distance away from the true all time greats.

 

[Brownlow Murphy]

since assuming the role of captain he has scored 5 hundreds in 11 matches and also australia has won 6 of 11 matches under his captaincy and lost 2, thats a superb effort from someone who didnt do that well in the ashes series and from a whole team that failed in the ashes.

hes done an amazing job and anyone who doesnt agree with that does not know a thing about cricket

 

[Mr_Moogle]

Well I always hated warnie as a bloke but respected him as a cricketer. I feel much the same about Clarke. I think he's doing a great job but I still cringe everytime he gets interviewed or is in some kind of advertisement.

Anyhow doesnt really matter how much of a tool he is, as long as he captains well and keeps making runs.

 

[Tyberious Funk]

he's a good batsman but let's stay sensible here. he's still some distance away from the true all time greats.

His record at the moment looks pretty darn good... 19 centuries, average nearing 50, triple century. I don't know what constitutes being an "all time great", but he's definitely on track.

 

[dan warna]

<shrug> I thought he was a pretty boy who was selected before he was ready (fair call still). I thought he'd never amount to much, never have the discipline to average more than the low to mid 40s and be a terrible leader. so far he's averaging closer and closer to 50, has a few big centuries and a triple, and shown a decent resurgence in batting form.

I think his captaincy is overrated and facilitated more by the addition of some discipline by McDermott, giving him the weapons to bowl an opposition out twice, something we lacked with the rubbish our bowlers were delivering for the previous 12 to 18 months (heck Siddle has gone from right arm poo as a statement of anger, to right arm poo as a statement of affection).

His form in the next few test matches and the ashes will determine whether this is an 'indian summer' or he is the real deal.

so far though my opinion of him is rising (and I am happy to admit regarding his batting I was wrong on his current form)

His leadership hasn't been hurt by a crap indian bowling attack, hussey and punter putting together a few runs, and a bowling attack that is getting more than 6 wickets a test match, with some reasonable quality bowlers.

I wonder how his captaincy and his own personal confidence would be if the selected persisted with Smith in the middle order, persisted with cooley as the bowling coach, and Hughes as the opening batsman.

I think pattinson, a remodeled siddle and hilfenhaus have added tremendous value to the side. Further cowan is lasting more than 10 overs and blunting the attack offering some respite for the top/middle order.

given he is getting the tools to get the job done, he's approaching 30 and maturity, this is reflecting in his form.

I think there are few spots up for grabs, and the wicketkeeper, hussey and Punters positions are there in the new few months.

 

[sherb]

He still needs to prove himself in the Ashes series next year, that will be the ultimate test against genuine opposition away from home. If he captains and bats well in that series and leads Australia to a series win then he will have everyone's respect.

Clarke has definitely enhanced his reputation in this series but I don't think he was won everyone over just yet, including myself. He has made plenty of runs but most of them were in favourable conditions at the SCG and Adelaide on pretty flat tracks which suited him, he is still suspect against good swing and seam bowling on a pitch with some life in it, ie. NZ at Hobart and last week at the WACA. He has also captained quite well but it's a lot easier when you're up against pretty lacklustre opposition like India and you're in a dominant position.

Well of course it is. That goes for any captain in that position, not just Michael Clarke (eg Waugh, Taylor, Ponting).

 

[Ron]

Clarke has definitely enhanced his reputation in this series but I don't think he was won everyone over just yet, including myself. He has made plenty of runs but most of them were in favourable conditions at the SCG and Adelaide on pretty flat tracks which suited him, he is still suspect against good swing and seam bowling on a pitch with some life in it, ie. NZ at Hobart and last week at the WACA. He has also captained quite well but it's a lot easier when you're up against pretty lacklustre opposition like India and you're in a dominant position.

He made runs in Sydney and Adelaide when we were 3/30 odd and 3/80 odd.

And if you think he can't play swing, then gee your memory must be only good for six weeks as you have clearly forgotten his 150 against the Saffies on a wicket where it moved.

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Wasn't Clarke one of our best players in the last Ashes series away from home?

Edit: He was, with 448 runs @ 64. He scored two hundreds and two fifties.

 

[Maddhew]

A lot of people may have to come to terms with the fact he could be considered as one of our best batsmen and possibly captains when his career is over. He still has 70+ tests in him and will potentially finish with 35+ tons at an average over 50.

He has scored 5 centuries in 11 tests as captain against 4 different sides including a 300 not out. He has done it in very different conditions in 3 countries against 3 of the top 4 test playing nations.

If he keeps this up for 6 months he will be the top ranked test batsmen in the world, after this test he should be well back into the top 10

It also will not surprise me if he presides over a period of dominance similar to the waugh/ponting era. He however will be credited for the success rather than it being given to previous captains.

 

[MisterMarcus]

A lot of people may have to come to terms with the fact he could be considered as one of our best batsmen and possibly captains when his career is over. He still has 70+ tests in him and will potentially finish with 35+ tons at an average over 50.

He has scored 5 centuries in 11 tests as captain against 4 different sides including a 300 not out. He has done it in very different conditions in 3 countries against 3 of the top 4 test playing nations.

If he keeps this up for 6 months he will be the top ranked test batsmen in the world, after this test he should be well back into the top 10

It also will not surprise me if he presides over a period of dominance similar to the waugh/ponting era. He however will be credited for the success rather than it being given to previous captains.

Maybe.

It's worth noting though that the likes of Ponting were averaging nearly 60 in their prime. Clarke's in his prime now and is only averaging...48-49 is it?

He's nearly 31....he'll need a very strong run of form in his later years to get that average up into the mid 50's, which is where it would need to be to be considered an "all time great".

 

[Tazwegian]

I am not sure exactly what constitutes an all time great either, but with Clarke's record, he wouldn't be too far outside of Australia's best ever test 11. My tip is that by the time he is finished, the general consensus will be that he belongs in it.

 

[Maddhew]

Wasn't Clarke one of our best players in the last Ashes series away from home?

Edit: He was, with 448 runs @ 64. He scored two hundreds and two fifties.

Yeah top Aussie Batsman (2nd overall) 448 Runs at 64 with 2 tons and 2 50s
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=4249;type=series

Also scored 389 in 7 innings against the poms in Aus in 2006-07 including 2 hundreds and a 50 averaging 77

 

[Maddhew]

Maybe.

It's worth noting though that the likes of Ponting were averaging nearly 60 in their prime. Clarke's in his prime now and is only averaging...48-49 is it?

He's nearly 31....he'll need a very strong run of form in his later years to get that average up into the mid 50's, which is where it would need to be to be considered an "all time great".

Its over 49 without taking into account he may go out in this innings. I dont know for sure but think he has added around 4 runs to it since taking the captaincy, it wont be hard for him to finish with an average of 52+

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

Yeah top Aussie Batsman (2nd overall) 448 Runs at 64 with 2 tons and 2 50s
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=4249;type=series

Also scored 389 in 7 innings against the poms in Aus in 2006-07 including 2 hundreds and a 50 averaging 77

Yeah...but....still needs to prove himself against England, in swinging conditions, as captain and using a bat sponsored by Spartan.

 

[Tazwegian]

It's worth noting though that the likes of Ponting were averaging nearly 60 in their prime. Clarke's in his prime now and is only averaging...48-49 is it?

As of right now he is averaging 49.5.

Also, Ponting was peerless in his prime, it is unfair to suggest that Clarke has to be that good to be considered an all time great. Border, Waugh, Hayden and Ponting are all-time great batsmen that have played in the last 20 years, Clarke is not too far off their standard, but I wouldn't put him quiet at that category yet.