Former Australian captain Michael Clarke has torn into the team in the wake of their disastrous 134-run loss to South Africa at the World Cup, taking aim at the selectors and captain Pat Cummins in particular.
Australia sit second-last on the tournament table after their second heavy loss in succession, with their batting a particular concern after being bowled out for under 200 by both South Africa and in their opening defeat to India.
Speaking on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast, Clarke, who led Australia to the 2015 World Cup title on home soil, was scathing of the decision to drop wicketkeeper Alex Carey for Josh Inglis, with Cummins also heavily criticised for his tactics in the field.
“I don’t know how they drop Alex Carey after one game, like what’s the point of taking him? And now what do you do? You reinstate him? Bring him back?” Clarke wondered.
“You can’t look at the first game against India and go. ‘OK, Alex Carey is the problem – drop him’. That’s the other thing I think that frustrated me when I saw that line-up.
“I thought, hang on, you’re pretty much blaming Alex Carey for our performance against India.”
As for Inglis, who managed just five runs and was clunky with the gloves, Clarke had no doubt as to who of the two was the superior wicketkeeper.
“Last night he didn’t have a great night with the gloves – he dropped some balls early,” Clarke said of the Western Australian.
“I’ve got to be careful how I say this because I don’t know him and it’s not just about him. I just think Alex Carey is a better keeper. And I think we saw that in the first 10 overs of the game.”
As for Cummins, Clarke’s main gripe was his lack of aggressive tactics, particularly in allowing a century partnership for the opening wicket between Proteas pair Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma.
According to the former captain, Cummins should have turned to himself earlier in the innings to try and make the crucial breakthrough.
Marcus Stoinis interacts with umpire Joel Wilson after being dismissed. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
“I don’t think he [Cummins] was aggressive enough. I don’t think he looked to take wickets,” Clarke said.
“The easiest way to slow scoring is to take wickets, yet we continue in Twenty20 cricket and one-day cricket [to] try to prevent runs.
“How is Pat Cummins not bowling in the first 10 overs? Or even if you’re going Glenn Maxwell, like we did, you’ve got to have a slip to the left hander. You’ve probably got to have a bat-pad to the right hander, like you’ve got to look to take wickets early.
“I love him and I’m more than happy for him to be captain but he’s got to do some work on that.”
For Clarke, the issues mostly stem from a lack of adequate preparation for the tournament – and not for the first time this year.
“We are not there at the moment – and honestly, no disrespect, but we haven’t been for a while,” Clarke said.
“The Twenty20 World Cup [in Australia last year], that’s [failing to reach the semi-finals] not OK. We’re better than that. It’s not OK.
Pat Cummins leads the Australian side off. (Photo by Matthew Lewis-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)
“Leaving England [for the Ashes], leveled series, is not OK. That series was ours for the taking.
“The way we lost to India in India… our preparation for that tournament? Not OK. Then winning the Test Championship – amazing. So that swept all this other stuff under the carpet. That’s not right.
“Now here, [in] our preparation for this World Cup, we won two games out of seven. We had a brilliant lead-in for this World Cup, an awesome amount of cricket, good competitive cricket.
“We should have turned up to India in our prime.”
In Clarke’s opinion, the team’s struggles could only get worse, with tough matches against Sri Lanka and Pakistan on the horizon that loom as must-win affairs already.
“We could still qualify with two losses, but I tell you now, Sri Lanka are going to be tough in those conditions,” Clarke said.
“That wicket spun. It was two-paced and it spun.
“We haven’t played Pakistan yet. We’ve got some really tough cricket ahead of us and if we play like this, we are not qualifying.
“I’m more worried about the sub-continent teams… if we’re getting shown up like that against South Africa, the spin in the sub-continent teams… we’ll be laughable.
“If we’re not careful, the conversation we’ve been having for the last three weeks about the Wallabies, in two weeks’ time we’ll be having that about Australian cricket.”
Australia takes on Sri Lanka in Lucknow on Monday night (AEDT) looking to get their campaign off and running at last.
Stuckbetweenindopak
Roar Rookie
Defending champions & the tournament favourites ???? On a serious note England, Pakistan & sri lanka need to learn how to play spinners. Stepping down the track doesn't mean you have to swing it. When cricket was new for me I remember how batsmen used to leave the crease just to get a single in the V. It used to make spinners bowl short and batsmen would take advantage by anticipating right. That thing has completely gone out now.
Echo Ferret
Roar Rookie
Never been a Clarke fan!!! But hard to argue with his points. The current team are ageing and soft !!! The WA all rounders baffle me !!! (Stoinis wouldn’t make the Zimbabwe side) Alex Carey gets dropped, but Mitchell Marsh continues his way .
JD Kiwi
Roar Rookie
Aren’t these nice guys the current world champs in the most important form of the game?
Bobbo7
Roar Rookie
It was out. When you looked at full ball with stump line it was out.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
I remember Clive Lloyd bowled Joel Garner straight through his 10 overs and the big man wasn't getting much swing!! He was getting plenty of guys out though.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
That was more to do with a swinging ball. They only used one ball for the game so swing bowlers would get no joy with their primary skill once the ball lost its shine. Mick Malone, Adam Dale, Simon Davis would bowl 10 straight. Swing bowlers who could also cut the ball off the seam, Alderman, Maxi Walker, Kasprowicz...would be able to come back later after the ball had lost its primary sheen.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
In the olden days, it was common for captains to bowl guys for their full 10 overs because they were keeping the runs down. Opposition sides would sit on them, score slowly but not lose wickets, giving them a dash in the last 20 or 25 overs. Lots of guys have had figures on 0 for 25 or 30 off 10 overs, but their team still lost. This is why captains have to make judgement calls about their attacks, which is why Cummins shouldn’t be captain because he has no idea how to do that. Freshness for bowlers is a huge issue especially in Indian conditions. I’ve played in similar heat & humidity and it’s seriously draining. It’s bad enough playing in Perth type heat, but throw in 60 or 70% humidity and fast bowlers are lucky if they can get through 2 overs at a time.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
If you keep the runs down, wickets always come. Last 2 full bowling stints, Green has had catches dropped Abbott, by Starc and by Carey. If you expect wickets within 12 balls from your bowlers or take them off, you’ll lose every game. Every bowler only gets to bowl a maximum of 10 overs. Freshness is never an issue.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
"With the bowling, just don’t take them off after 1 or 2 overs when they are bowling well." Agreed but only if they're taking wickets as well as keeping the runs down. The opposite should also apply regardless of reputation. If Starc, Cummins or Hazlewood gets belted in their first 2 overs, bring on another bowler, eg Green, especially if the Aussies are bowling first because he'll be fresh.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
I want Green to open precisely because he needs time to settle before hitting out. More to the point, he has the technique to get in, get set but still turn over the strike. I'd be telling him to bat 50 overs. IMO, if he does, Australia wins 90% of its matches
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
With the bowling, just don't take them off after 1 or 2 overs when they are bowling well. There's no reason. Regarding Green, Cummins seems to think he's a part timer just combining with the Marsh, Maxwell, Stoinis to crank out the last 10. Green is a frontline quick.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Marsh has done . Not in the last 2 games but terrific before then. Remember he's filling in for Head. Goes back to #3 then. Green would be fine opening, or 3 or 4 or 5 but just give him a bat before he has to score at 10 an over from the start with only tailenders left. Certainly, it won't be hard to deliver better numbers than Smith, Labuschagne, our keepers or Maxwell.
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Clarke was commenting on the cricket, not the cricketers. He even say he loves Cummins.
BigGordon
Roar Rookie
I'd like to see Green open the batting, Don. MM has had his chances and IMO, has not done enough, so he should bat 3, Smith 4, Maxwell 5, Labu 6 and Carey/Inglis 7. As for the bowling, I think it doesn't matter who bowls, as long as they do so with variety and purpose. They also need a captain who will know when to make changes and to make them often if needed. It's easier to write down who doesn't bowl in this team than it is to write down who does, so ALL need to be used, based on conditions.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
He has developed a slower ball that is slower than the fast mediums he is now deploying in his depleted persona. I guess that’s something
Ed Flanders
Roar Rookie
Tempo's last paragraph was unnecessary. But his opening point was worthy of mention.
ColinT
Roar Rookie
Following Australia’s inept attempt in SA to copy the ball tampering tactics commonly practised by its cricket rivals, the hypocritical sporting media and many sanctimonious commentators, especially in the Roar, demanded that Australia needed to become a team of nice guys with a nice guy captain. And that’s what we have got. Can you imagine the likes of Ian Chappell, Allan Border etc allowing players to laugh about dropping catches? Or meekly turning the other cheek when someone like Bairstow calls our wicket keeper a cheat?! Let alone copping the abuse of the Lords members. Time to get back to being the ultra competitive tough cricketers we once were.
Ankush Deshpande
Roar Rookie
Cummins was a terrible choice as an ODI skipper from the get go, Smith was THE perfect man for this job.It was just in March after BGT that we nailed India in their own backyard, and guess who was leading the pack.I wonder what are Pat's credentials in ODI's at the time when it was decided that it'd be him for the job.he's already strangely mentioned that he's still coming to terms with the format.he appears so well off with his decision making and that shows while bowling and also with the timid approach while batting. As much as Cummins & Co.,the coaching staff also needs to be held accountable for this debacle, what has McDonald done planning wise for this event?i'd review him and Bailey once we crash out of this tournament prematurely. If SA gave us a shellacking, imagine the damage England or even Pakistan can inflict Now looking ahead, What is the plan for the future?who are the players we're looking to for the next big event which is the T20 world cup?sadly,i don't see a plan..unless we have a England like reset in the white ball format,sadly this will continue
Diamond Jackie
Roar Rookie
Hard to argue with any of that. Love him or hate him, MC has a very good cricket brain and the stats to back it up.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Rugby is working on it.