Australia has announced the Michael Clarke will be unavailable for at least the limited overs leg of the upcoming tour of Pakistan.
The news is not surprising, after Clarke left the Zimbabwean Tri-Series tournament early due to an injured hamstring.
While it appears Clarke still has many years left in him as an international player, the incumbent Australian captain and invaluable ODI batsman still has to ask himself a tough question – should I quit the one-day format?
Clarke’s run with injury is well known, and well documented. He has had ongoing back troubles since he was 17, and despite this has grown into one of the finest players Australia has ever had the fortune to call their own.
His averages, both Test and ODI, speak for themselves. While his strike rate is a little low for limited overs cricket, any side in the world would take his 45 runs per innings, as well as his fine fielding. Yet it seems that with his increasing injury setbacks, it may be time to focus on one format. That has to be the ultimate format – Test cricket.
The idea wouldn’t be that new to Clarke. He retired from T20 internationals in 2010 and handed over the reins to George Bailey. He knew back then that playing and captaining in the three formats would put a huge toll on his body, and indeed his sanity.
He would be feeling similar pressure again, as the weight of a packed Test schedule and plenty of ODIs have filled up his calendar to the point where he’d struggle for time to catch up with Shane Warne for a beer. If Clarke is looking for a precedent, he needs to look no further than the West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
While Chanders’ ODI career wrapped up due to being dropped, not retirement, his Test career flourished in its wake. He’s since crossed the 10,000-run barrier, and is playing on despite being the ripe of age of 40. They are two targets Pup would undoubtedly like to achieve.
I’d expect that some would be concerned about Clarke packing it in before the World Cup here in Australia next year. One thing sides look for in the 12 months leading up to a World Cup is continuity, and losing your captain hardly helps. Clarke also deserves nothing less than another shot at the silverware.
That being said, Australia have spent the last few months blooding new ODI batsmen. With Shane Watson and David Warner missing from tours as well, the Australian selectors have been able to trial new combinations, and players like Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Phil Hughes have been given a chance to step up. When it comes to a replacement skipper, there’s no doubt Bailey has been a great fill-in of late.
At the end of the day, if the injuries and interruptions continue, Clarke will have less and less of a say in the decision. Since January 2013, he’s played a mere 16 ODIs. Meanwhile, his deputy, George Bailey, has notched up 31 appearances. It has been increasingly stop start in his limited overs career, and as such he’s missed the Champions Trophy in England, the recent Tri-Series in Zimbabwe (bar one match) and now the Pakistan series.
Clarke has only missed one Test due to injury over his career, and the last thing he, selectors and the Aussie fans would want is for his injuries to start hampering his form in the five-day format.
I really toyed with the idea of titling this article ‘Michael Clarke should retire from ODIs’, but I find it hard to provide such stern advice for elite athletes. Michael Clarke has forgotten more about cricket and fitness than I will ever learn. It’s his decision when to retired, and rightfully so.
However, he himself has stated that his Test career is more important than anything, so perhaps creating a vacancy in the ODI squad is the right thing for him. Regardless of his decision, Clarke will have the support of Aussie fans, and hopefully, the selectors.
Don Freo
Guest
Stats do not, however, prove current form. I like Bailey and agree he is a good captain because he brings the best out of players, including himself. If Clarke is there, however, Bailey is the player most likely to have to make way.
vaibhav
Guest
australia needs michael clarke in both odis and tests.he is the best player of australia currently in both the formats.australia can't go ahead in odis without michael clarke.they need him for atleast 4-5 years in odi.george bailey is also a good captain but not as good as michael clake.i think he must continue playing both the formats for australia. stas proved it
Don Freo
Guest
That's such a drunken barbeque yobbo comment. Tall poppy stuff is so non-Australian...but yobbo Aussies do it too much. It belongs in the British tabloids. Have a look at Australia's improvement since Clarke has been captain. This is an Aussie side on target and on-song. Anyone who can achieve that with a team full of Gen X and Gen Y has done well. Even Richie Benaud could not successfully herd cats. Clarkey has.
Johnnyball
Guest
Can't we pension off Australia's arguably worst captain ever. Never supports his team, castigates players out of form (but not himself, oh no, not himself) and develops back pain when all is going bad. Another round of controversy with this bloke is almost too much to bear, poor little dear.
Don Freo
Guest
Amen, brother. Vogsey, the boss.
Brendon
Guest
Exactly. Anyone thinking Clarke will retire from ODI's before the world cup is crazy. He will most likely retire from ODI's soon after its finished. He'll be 34 by the time he retires from ODI's. He'll plan to continue on as captain of the test team until at least the 2017-18 Ashes series at home. He'll be almost 37 if he retires then. If form an fitness isn't a problem he might continue on until the 2019 Ashes tour of England and Wales. He'll be 38 by then.
Kaz
Guest
Once the ODI World Cup is done and dusted that would be the perfect time for Michael Clarke to retire from ODIs. Steve Smith would be an ideal replacement and slot into Clarke's number four spot in the batting order. Smith batted at three in the Zimbabwe tour and looked solid so he shouldn't struggle too much batting at number four.
Gareth Kidd
Roar Guru
You don't feel we have the depth? Or is it an issue of captaincy?
Gareth Kidd
Roar Guru
I couldn't imagine a better replacement for Clarke than Smith. The last thing we need to replace him with another tonker who can't play spin.
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Although, if Clarke retired from the format, Smith may well be the perfect person to take his spot, likely would take it and be a regular player in the ODI format.
Silver Sovereign
Guest
Enough is enough Clarkey. Give it up. The young guys have to stand up in the odi team. Save yourself for where your most needed, the test arena. Maybe another old head is needed. What happened to Adam Voges who was averages over 45 in ODIs?
Brains of a bimbo (Atgm)
Guest
Aus wont win the wc without clarke,period.
Quitwhinging
Guest
Clarke' passed the fitness test to play, to blame the physio is idiotic
Armchair Expert
Guest
Maybe Clarke over ruled the physio.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Who said Clarke was OK to play when he reinjured himself? That physio deserves the sack.
Sideline Comm.
Guest
Bailey just dropped out of the T/20s. He'll still be the ODI captain. Though if you mean if Bailey was injured or something Finch would take over, being the T/20 captain. But I agree and I do think Clarke should drop out of ODIs, though I have a feeling he really wants to be world cup winning captain. He'll certainly drop out after the cup though you'd think. Besides his fitness for tests, I like the idea of the Australian captain dropping ODIs as it says to kids everywhere that test cricket is the most important thing, not that limited overs fluff. We may well have the unusual (and I think unprecedented) situation where the official captain for each form is a different man.
spruce moose
Guest
"He knew back then that playing and captaining in the three formats would put a huge toll on his body, and indeed his sanity." No, he knew, that for some unexplainable reason he was absolutely garbage at T20 cricket. He made the right call, but you got the reasons wrong. His T20 stats are really bad. It is rather unusual considering his abilities in the other two forms. I think Clarke should give ODI cricket away after the world cup and just ride out his career in the test arena.
Larney
Guest
Smith is not a regular in the ODI side as yet. I don't think he is an option at this point in time.
Gareth Kidd
Roar Guru
Steve Smith? He's captained NSW and Australia A sides before.
Larney
Guest
With Clarke out, and Bailey unavailable, who will captain the ODI's?