Michael Clarke

[Biggy]

Pup is a legend. The next Ponting no doubt, in all forms of the game.

 

[Jakester1288]

But he's a better twenty20 captain then any other form. When Ponting retires you might be forced to play him in there because he has such a great cricket brain. He's a thinker and a good twenty20 captain. A great one in fact.

That makes no sense. Picking him in the form particularly because he is captain is dire. I'd rather Haddin or someone who is playing because they were selected to play, not because they are the captain or future captain.

Jakester1288 added 1 Minutes and 3 Seconds later...

Pup is a legend. The next Ponting no doubt, in all forms of the game.

In test, nah. In ODI, no way, and in Twenty20, whilst Ponting hasn't set the world on fire, it's another no.

Ponting > Clarke at batting and captaining a cricket side.

 

[mattfb]

That makes no sense. Picking him in the form particularly because he is captain is dire. I'd rather Haddin or someone who is playing because they were selected to play, not because they are the captain or future captain.

Of course it makes sense. Your not going to win many Twenty20 matches without a good or specialist captain.

 

[Jakester1288]

Of course it makes sense. Your not going to win many Twenty20 matches without a good or specialist captain.

You're not going to win many Twenty20 matches with your number 2, 3 or 4 batting way too slowly either.

If he is making runs, and striking at least >100, then I have no problem with it. While ever he is batting too slowly or not making runs, I'll complain.

 

[mattfb]

You're not going to win many Twenty20 matches with your number 2, 3 or 4 batting way too slowly either.

If he is making runs, and striking at least >100, then I have no problem with it. While ever he is batting too slowly or not making runs, I'll complain.

I don't see a problem with your number 4 batting at around a strike rate of 80 in Twenty20. It's how you dont get bundled for 50.

 

[Jakester1288]

I don't see a problem with your number 4 batting at around a strike rate of 80 in Twenty20. It's how you dont get bundled for 50.

I think he see's himself as a bit of an opener in the shorter form, TBH. When he had a few chances at captaining the Australian summer just passed, he promoted himself to opener a few times. In Twenty20, that's bad, but in ODI's, I can live with it, because if he is with an aggressive opening partner (Haddin, Watson, Warner [I'm not saying select him] etc) it will work. If he is with someone like Shaun Marsh, it won't. Whilst Shaun Marsh has been apparently earmarked as someone who likes to play his shots and go after the bowlers, in career, he strikes at 75 for Australia in ODI Cricket and 74 for WA in Domestic OD Cricket.

 

[Covvy]

We don't need the best player too be captain. Just the smartest player, I think Ponting isn't too smart at his decisions sometimes.

 

[IloveGilly]

Australia totally needed Gilly!

I'd honestly would rather someone who is more suited to Twenty20 rather than lacking form. It's such a key area that middle spot.

On paper, he seems like the perfect type of player to fill that role, with his part time bowling, structured batting and creative thinking...but hasn't really shone in the game.

Test player of the future though.