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Michael Clarke will not be happy about Michael Clarke being dropped.
But Michael Clarke will work hard so Michael Clarke can earn his
rightful place in the Australian Test XI again. For Michael Clarke
knows one very important thing: Michael Clarke can play cricket.
Michael Clarke is the future of the Australian side, so believes
Michael Clarke. Michael Clarke will be back. Just ask Michael
Clarke, he'll tell you.
Early in his career - and sometimes even now - journalists had
this summation of Michael Clarke, the 24-year-old who has been
dropped from the Test side: great kid, outstanding talent, "the
next Ricky Ponting" - but, brother, stop referring to yourself
in the third person. You sound like a complete and utter tosser.
Clarke isn't a tosser. He has no inflated sense of self-importance,
despite his penchant now and then for referring to himself like
an NBA basketballer. It would be wrong to suggest the lack of
form that has seen him axed is a result of a big head. Peter Roebuck
wrote today that Clarke's exposure is what has hurt him. Maybe
he's right. About a year or so ago, this correspondent interviewed
Clarke over a few beers with a few of his closest mates in his
new two-level house in Sydney's west. A pool table resided in
one room, a huge widescreen in the loungeroom, lavish artwork
on the walls, expensive wheels in the garage... And he was still
to make his Test debut. It would be easy to suggest that becoming
a million-dollar baby has got to Clarke, taken his eye off what
got him there. That Jerry Maguire stuff about forgetting what
it was that made you love the game blah blah de blah. But Australian
players, officials and his management will tell you what he is
not: an egomaniac. Rare, particularly for an Aussie cricketer.
It's clear what has happened to Clarke and it is not earth-shattering
news, punters: he is playing shithouse. He has lost his batting
mojo. He is getting out to good balls because he is playing bad
shots. It happens. Matthew Hayden once told Inside Sport:
"I find cricket to be a very, very hard game". It is.
Hayden knows this as much as Damien Martyn, Justin Langer, Ricky
Ponting, Shane Warne, Brett Lee... They have all been dropped,
banished to State and club cricket to recapture what earned them
selection in the first place. They made their way back. Others
do not.
He's the fear: Hayden and Martyn took an eternity to find their
way back. Let's hope not it doesn't take as long for Clarke. Let's
hope Trevor Hohns and Co. won't be expecting avalanche of runs
for a few seasons before they give him another whirl. Being out
of the side would be doing Michael Clarke's head in. Michael Clarke
is doing nothing particularly wrong, just batting like a C-grader.
No, the best thing for Michael Clarke is for Michael Clarke to
keep doing what he does best: being Michael Clarke.
I agree with this article on Michael Clarke, I can
not speak for other Australians but when people start talking
about themselves in third person it does not impress me and shows
of arrogance disrespect to the people who got him into the Australian
team in the first place.
I have no doubt that Michael Clarke will get back into the Australian
side because he had got plenty of talent and potential to be in
the Australian side for a long time. But until he has been in
the side for a long time and has achieved what the other established
players have he should sit back and chill out.
I listened to an interview he gave to the dead set legends on
radio and when asked "Did he think he had to adjust his technique
to improve his batting' Michael Clarke stated there was nothing
wrong with his technique despite his recent failures and showed
his arrogance by giving the answer in an aggressive manner and
giving the impression of disbelief that the question should be
asked of him.
All Michael needs is a dose of reality by getting back to state
and club cricket hanging with his mates who will hopefully put
him in his place so he can get back to what he does best playing
great cricket.
Submitted by Scott Clancy on 24th November,
2005
I was very happy to hear the news that Michael Clarke was dropped
from the Test side for the Adelaide Test. I say this with no animosity
towards Clarke, like every cricket fan I was hoping he’d
continue to blitz it after the start he had. But as a sand-groper,
having seen selectors impatience with Marto after the stellar
couple of seasons he’s had, it would’ve been highly
hypocritical of them to show faith in Clarke after his dismal
run.
I agree with your writer’s opinion that it will do him
good to have a stint at state level. What’s unfortunate
though is that because he’s still a member of the one day
squad, Clarke’s not going to have a chance to play a Pura
Cup game til January 16th, therefore ruling out any reasonable
chance of a return to the Test arena this summer.
But such is life, and cricket. I just hope Clarke
uses the next opportunity he has, should it come around, and really
appreciate the position he’s in and not take it for granted.
Submitted
by Darren Hulme on 24th November, 2005
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