After Michael Clarke’s revelation yesterday that he has contacted Cricket Australia with an offer to make a comeback to captain the Australian cricket team in its darkest moment, my first thought was, ‘Which presentation night was he at when he thought this was a good idea?’
Every April I attend the Kiama Cricket Club presentation night, to see the season awards handed out and catch up with friends I spent my playing days on the cricket field with, with varied success.
And every season over several beers, I announce that I am going to make a comeback next season, to help lead the club to success (that ironically, I didn’t experience too often when I was playing). This is greeted with kind words, but behind the eyes I see they understand the truth is that, even if I did wake up the following morning not regretting my bravado, my advancing years and lack of meaningful practice means it would all be a furphy…
It is sometimes easy to forget how good Clarke was as an international batsman, and how astute his captaincy could be.
He scored 8643 runs in Test cricket at 49.10, and only fell below the elite average of 50 in his final series, against England in 2015, where he scored 132 runs at 16.50.
In 2012 he scored a triple century against India (329 not out in Sydney) and three further double centuries, at a time he appeared impossible to dismiss.
Even though he was not a ‘slogger’ in one day cricket, at a time the game plan appeared to be calling for them, he found his spot in the middle order and made it his own.
He fought constant back and hamstring injuries. He played a few of the most inspiring innings in recent times. His second innings century in Brisbane against England in 2013 – when he had been bounced out in the first innings – was all class. When Morne Morkel smashed him the same way in Cape Town six months later, his 161 not out was one of the highest bravery.
His century against India on one leg in Adelaide, in what proved to be his final Test in Australia, was one for the ages.
Michael Clarke (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)
Prior to his captaincy career, Clarke had some issues. The Lara Bingle relationship brought forward moments he would have preferred not to deal with publicly. The dressing room fracas with Simon Katich he would have preferred to have kept out of the media.
Once installed as skipper, the homework saga in India in 2013 brought him unwanted pressure. He was openly ambitious from a young age and sometimes that may have got in the way.
But his final 12 months in cricket saw his leadership shine – on and off the field.
The tragic loss of Phillip Hughes brought Clarke to the fore, as he took the responsibility of not only helping the Hughes family through the situation, but also lead Australian cricket through it as well. His injury in the first Test against India looked as though it would end his career, but his single-minded effort to not only get himself fit for the 2015 World Cup, but to then lead Australia to the title and top score in the final was an amazing effort.
All of this just reinforces the view that Clarke was one of our best batsmen since the turn of the century, and a skilful and knowledgeable captain. His figures from the 2015 series against England reveal that he was waning then, and that when he announced his retirement it was the right time to go.
There is no shortage of ego, and no doubt he honestly believes that he could get himself back to his best, despite being out of the game for three years.
On Friday night I will be attending this season’s Kiama Cricket Club presentation night, and I fully expect to once again start the process of making my comeback next season at the youthful age of 48, in order to restore the club’s on-field playing fortunes to its glory days.
Despite Clarke’s heartfelt desire to come to the aid of Australian cricket, I expect that his offers for a return to the baggy green will be met with as much belief in its validity as my own exhortations.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Paul D. It's not my 'remaining argument', it's been my only argument! Thank you for arriving there. Hopefully, a few others will eventually, although I very much doubt it. It's been painful. To answer your other question, yes, it's more than likely Anderson offered up the opinion to Bailey, the closest to him, that he'd like to respond to the taunts by giving him a slap. I'd also agree with you that neither Clarke or Anderson came out of the exchange well, and neither can claim the moral high ground. I somehow suspect the Bailey comment has grown the way folklore dictates (as Waugh admitted his 'you've just dropped the world cup' to Gibbs did), but I kind of want it to be exactly what he said!
Paul D
Roar Guru
@Neil So basically you're not even disputing that Jimmy Anderson said he'd like to punch Bailey in the face - I thought Bailey's response was priceless, I've got a steel reinforced helmet on and 40,000 Aussies around me, take your best shot Really, your only remaining argument is with Kettlewell's use of the verb "bullying" - some 12 hours ago now. Maybe you'd agree perhaps that Jimmy Anderson was the first to threaten physical violence, whether believable or not - and Clarke responded in kind. I don't see them as any better than each other, and I do think you have to look at the character of the individuals involved too - Clarke and Anderson would both give Harvey Two-Face a run for his money in their media/private personalities
Gray-Hand
Guest
You lost your credibility hours ago. You’ve been arguing against a straw man the whole time. There is no intellectual honesty in your posts. Every time you post you get shot down. You complain about sledging, but immediately resort to name calling as soon as your arguments are defeated. When called out on your own sledging, you demand that others toughen up and accept the abuse. Complete hypocrisy. You are embarrassing yourself. Please keep going - it’s genuinely fascinating to observe.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Nope. What’s happened is, I’ve given you too much credit in your powers of understanding - that it’s nonsense to propose someone in the middle of a bunch of bullies, can be bullying one of them.
Gray-Hand
Guest
Neil, Your anger has blinded you. Literally no one has claimed that Anderson tried to bully the whole fielding team. Everyone else has said that Anderson tried (and failed) to bully Bailey by making a physical threat. Go and reread every post.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Name calling? Snippy? Bunnings. Bag of cement. Gray-Hand, I'm not debating he got back what he allegedly dished out. It's also more than a dead certainty that if he did say that, this was just part of the 'chat' going on. It's the laughable notion he was 'bullying' a close infield of what, about 9 Australian close fielders at the time?! Come On JamesH. I'd turn the mics up. In fact, I'd mic all the players and let independent adjudicators rule on what's banter, or personal abuse if teams can't self-regulate.
Gray-Hand
Guest
You asked where it was reported. You were given the answer. Now you are getting all snippy for some reason. Strange. Anderson is a well known bully and a thug who has a record of actually physically assaulting other players (although, seemingly only when their back is turned). On this occasion, he physically threatened an Australian player, and was physically threatened in return. He got back exactly what he dished out.
JamesH
Roar Guru
Why start name-calling, Neil? The point is that the Clarke-Anderson incident was isolated and in reaction to something else, not part of any pre-meditated sledging tactic adopted by Clarke. He simply wasn't a big sledger himself. No one likes to see those sorts of incidents but they happen occasionally, and not just to Australia. People lose their cool on a sporting field and say stupid things sometimes. No amount of cultural change will alter that fact. Turning down the stump mics would be a nice idea, though.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Hang on. My common sense is being 'moderated'
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Thanks genius. Perfectly aware of where it all came from - Warne reported he heard it on a stump mic, (heard nothing else apparently), the rest is selling papers. Still no further forward with you blokes, are we. Anderson strolled to the wicket as a world-renowned batsman and naturally started giving it out by telling George he wanted to punch him. Nothing more to it than that. Anderson was 'bullying' the Australian field .....give me strength .....
Gray-Hand
Guest
As reported by: The Telegraph in the Uk; The ABC; The Australian; The Sydney Morning Herald; Lots of other places too. Just google ‘Anderson sledge Bailey’. He threatened to punch Bailey in the face. Anderson is a sledger of some note with a record of physically assaulting other players (from behind) off the field. Including Michael Clarke and Ravindran Jadeja.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Sure. As reported by? FFS Chris. Employ that neutral part of your brain, and engage some of your own reasoning to what would have been going on around that wicket - as it has for the past 30 years! Have you not been paying any attention lately?
jameswm
Guest
Following me again?
Chris Kettlewell
Roar Guru
Jimmy Anderson is one of the biggest bullies and sledgers the game has ever seen. Who's the deluded one here. He towers over Bailey and was apparently making comments along the lines of punching him out after the game or something ridiculous. I know I've seen details elsewhere, can't recall exactly, but it was along those lines.
Sumit
Guest
I loved Clarke against spin. Supreme use of the feet.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Yep. The voice of reason and common sense Mitcher. Jimmy, the world class bat, standing at the crease alone, bullying the most vile of international cricket sledging teams to have walked the earth. You boys are as deluded as you are hysterical ....
Mitcher
Guest
How unusual of you to take that particular position Neil. Keep at it.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
You are correct, Chris. Bob Simpson struggled against the West Indies quicks when Australia toured the West Indies later in 1978. They still had Roberts, Garner and Croft for the first two tests of that series. Whispering Death had a shoulder injury and didn't play at all. I believe the West Indies Cricket Board were pressured to not select any of the WSC signed players and after two tests they relented. The side for the last 3 tests was a very different side with many non-WSC players pulling out in protest too. Of course, its purely hypothetical as far as Clarke is concerned. Still, it brought back some great memories.
John Erichsen
Roar Guru
I do remember that period and considered a Simpson-like return for Clarke to help in our hour of need. While pondering similarities, i did think of some of the logistics of that 77-78 home series against India. Firstly, India had no pace spearheads to concern the aging batsman. Maden Lal and Armanath were anything but express and most agree that its pace that causes aging batsmen the most grief. That theory was supported by Bob Simpson's performance when the Australian side toured the West Indies in 1978. 199 runs at an average of 22.10 with a single score over 50 from nine innings (He was run out for 67 in Georgetown and no, it wasn't by Graeme Wood). Prior to that test series against India, Simpson returned to domestic cricket making scores of 14 and 5 against Western Australia, 66 against South Australia and then against the Indian tourists, 58 and 94. Against spin especially, Bob Simpson's technique was still very, very good. I agree that age should not be the reason for Clarke to not be considered. I would suggest, however, that the reality of Clarke playing no cricket for three years, (unless he wants to play some county cricket this year) coupled with India now having some genuine pace bowlers might be.
Malo
Guest
Clarke was hated by his team mates , the worst captain in oz history apart from Smith. Move on