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What will Klinger bring to Western Australia?

Roar Pro
14th April, 2014
16

Michael Klinger has been signed by the Western Warriors on a two-year deal.

Western Australia will be the third state he has represented, after he left Victoria in 2008 to join South Australia, where he was eventually made captain in 2010.

After the retirement of former captain Marcus North, it seems like a perfect switch of experienced players for the 2013/2014 Sheffield Shield runners up.

Klinger said he was not guaranteed a place at South Australia, so he decided to pack his bags and move west.

But what does Klinger bring to this side?

1. Experience
The Warriors have a mix of older and younger players, but not that many in-between.

If we look at the side from last seasons final.

North was 34 along with Adam Voges, and Shaun Marsh is 30.

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While Sam Whiteman is 22, Marcus Harris is 21, Ashton Turner is 21, Cam Bancroft is 21 and Mitch Marsh is still only 22.

WA really lacks a core group of players entering their prime at 27.

Maybe Klinger can teach Whiteman, Harris and co. to be consistent performers, because in a few years time they are going to lose some experience.

Michael Klinger has two years to teach these young twenty-somethings how to do it. He has also played over 120 first class games and a similar amount of List A games.

He also brings a mountain of runs.

2. Runs
In 2009 and in 2010 he was awarded the State Player of the Year at the Allan Border Medal awards night.

He has also spent time at Gloucestershire and Worcestershire in England. He was picked up by IPL team Kochi Tuskers Kerala in 2011.

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His stats are quite good: 128 First Class games, 226 innings, 22 not outs, 7679 runs at 37.64, highest score of 255 and 17 centuries.

He also has 119 catches.

Make of it what you will, he was probably on the verge of national selection around 2010.

He averaged about 37 this season, which included 213 against Victoria.

In shorter formats, his stats are: 122 List A games, 121 innings, 15 not outs, 4923 at 46.44, Highest score of 140* and 11 centuries.

He has also bagged 47 catches.

His T20 record is also pretty good. 66 matches, 1780 runs at 32.96 and a highest score of 108*.

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Thats a fantastic limited overs record, no matter who you are.

Klinger said this week he still has ambitions of playing for his country at the 2015 ICC World Cup.

That brings me onto my final point.

3. Ambitions
But, how does he make it into the Australian team with so much talent in the country? It is not an easy task.

At 33 years-of-age, some would laugh, but Cameron White is there and Chris Rogers got a second coming, so who knows.

It is important in the sporting arena to have something that drives you.

Klinger has never worn the green and gold and if he scores runs, the selectors may reward him.

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Whether he can actually get there and play for Australia, I’m not so sure. Whether he can bring a Shield title to Western Australia for the first time in 15 years? That seems more of a possibility.

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