Michael Clarke in the Big Bash just doesn't add up

Clarke is a gun. He only needs to play in the finals. Which the Stars have always lost in the past.

Clarke haters at it again. Imagine what it would be like if he hadn't captained them to a World Cup victory? News flash - he will not miss any Test matche because of this. As others have pointed out, he'll play a handful of games at most whilst the ODIs are on. Why begrudge the bloke a chance to have some fun and make some money. He's forgone T20 dollars in India basically his entire career to ensure he was fit enough to play for and captain our Test and ODI side. Perhaps some people will only satisfied once his body has broken on him entirely and they have to wheel him off forever...

If someone like Jordan Silk can get into a lot of the commentators teams of the tournament, I think Clarke will be fine.

Agree with some other comments here. No reason why Clarke can't play, what will be in effect, no more than half the BBL season after the tests finish. It's literally a few T20 games spread over a few weeks when he won't have any test cricket for a couple of months. He hasn't played any BBL previously because, being both Test and ODI captain, the only reason he wouldn't be playing any test or ODI would be because of injury or possibly being rested from the odd ODI. So he was never available. He signed up with the Thunder one season, basically as a marketing thing, knowing he was never going to play, but now he's retired from ODI's he's able to play a bit of BBL, so it's cool that he can do that. All the BBL teams deal with having a number of their players only available for part of the season, especially the international players and regularly have a number of players signed on for partial seasons. So I suspect they'll have signed Clarke knowing he's only available after the Sydney test concludes, and will likely have some other player contracted for the first part of the season up to that point in his place.

That is one reason that Clarke and Warner and a few others weren't signed to any BBL teams last season. Test only players, like Clarke now is, should be available for the second-half of the BBL, but players, like Warner, Smith and others, who play ODI's also, won't be available for any of it.

Clarke is simply playing for money now and He is only playing for them because his good mate Warnie has helped him get in

I agree in what you are saying but in reality like others have stated he will hardly play due to his test commitments, and when he will play is when the ODI's are usually one and there is still 2-3 months before next test series if not longer. This gives him time to still hit the ball around while waiting for sheffield shield to start up again

Exactly, test players virtually never play. And he gets a nice pay cheque and does his bit bringing up some younger players, and will be great for crowd attendance etc.

If Michael Clarke retires from Test Cricket after the Ashes in England, it will be the best recruiting in BBL history especially if K.P is unavailable due to England national duty. If Michael Clarke continues to play Test Cricket as per Vas Venkatramani comments.

I disagree Scott - it completely adds up. Clarke has retired from ODIs after achieving the holy grail - captaining his team to a home World Cup. He can now give away ODIs satisfied of his contribution to the format. Now he has time on his hands, and he only has a few years of playing left. He is now giving T20s a go when it's best to do so, as an older player who has already made a substantial contribution to the game, and not as a young player who is little more than a T20 gun for hire. It shouldn't bear any consequence to his Test game - as others have mentioned, he will only be available for the second half of the BBL season, given the crossover with the Melbourne and Sydney Tests. Besides, one should really ask if the Stars have signed him up for reasons other than marketing, given his game really isn't suited to the bash and crash method of T20.

Tait played T20 because he fell apart trying to play real cricket. A few old timers who couldn't manage test or even one day cricket any more have been quite successful in hit and giggle. Clarke's T20 games will be little more than training sessions and a bit of fun, some exercise for the body and a break for the mind.

seriously T20 games are a walk in the park

massive - about 8 hours of cricket in total

Purely a marketing ploy by the Stars. They might get one or two games from him at most. They know this. Clarke knows it too so I don't think he is worried about the playing workload

Terrible decision by the Stars. Guess they can afford to lose another semi final...

I would be - very surprised. I hope he can play another 2-3 years.

Yep - my recollection is that the test players hardly plat Big Bash. Shame for someone like Warner.

Warney got him there,plus Fast Eddie calls him a good mate.

Scored faster than most in the World Cup final

I agree. Was totally amazed when the Stars picked him up. Why bother with him, he can hardly stay fit, let alone score fast enough?