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The Mad Hatter said:
Clarke to retire after this series.
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Channel Nine are suggesting that Clarkey will make an announcement after this Test. Investigative reporter Shane Warne is apparently trying to organise a chat with him :-)

Whatever he decides to do, it will be criticised - mark my words. Too soft, too useless, pretty boy, blah blah blah. You've done something right to make 28 Test centuries in my book, but the expectations of many modern day supporters is utterly ridiculous.

As I type, the final Act of the Test has been played - Nathan Lyon plays on to Mark Wood. Australia all out for 253, defeated by an innings and 78 runs.

Edit: Michael Clarke will retire from international cricket after the Oval Test.
 
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For crying down the bloody sink - what the hell is going on at channel Nine? England win the Ashes, so we'll go to a two minute chat with Cook and Stokes, then spend five minutes talking to Michael Clarke, then wrap-up quickly whilst showing a Michael Clarke highlights package......gee, the 8:30pm movie (SA time) must be a ball-tearer!!

My mistake.....it's Any Given Sunday!!! :-)
 
I love it.

England win Ashes.

But even before they've had a chance to complete a victory lap, the story has moved to Clarke - rightly falling on his sword [something Ponting or Cook could ever do] - and suddenly, England winning the Ashes is a sub heading to the main news.

LOL.

Well done England by the way.
 
Matty76 said:
Channel Nine are suggesting that Clarkey will make an announcement after this Test. Investigative reporter Shane Warne is apparently trying to organise a chat with him :)

Whatever he decides to do, it will be criticised - mark my words. Too soft, too useless, pretty boy, blah blah blah. You've done something right to make 28 Test centuries in my book, but the expectations of many modern day supporters is utterly ridiculous.

As I type, the final Act of the Test has been played - Nathan Lyon plays on to Mark Wood. Australia all out for 253, defeated by an innings and 78 runs.

Edit: Michael Clarke will retire from international cricket after the Oval Test.
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He won't but I hope Clarke gets a ton in his final dig. Would be a nice closer. First player to score a ton on debut Away and Home and in his final tests at home and away. It would be fitting.

For mine, Clarke has been and will always be a favourite of mine.

Debut ton in India 2004/05.
6 for 9 against India 2004/05.
Those wickets vs India, SCG 2007/08.
329 at the SCG 2011/2012.
The 2 double centuries vs South Africa in 2012/13
4 double centuries in 2012.
The ton against South Africa, in South Africa being pummelled, 2014.
A ton with a broken back against India, Adelaide 2014/15.
A World Cup as captain, 2015.
114 tests, 28 tons, 27 50's, 8628 test runs, 49.30 average.

That is an AWESOME career.

If he scores 222 at the oval, he will get his average back over 50. Would be a nice touch for Richie.
 
Interesting to read the amount for love for Clarke above, he came across as too fake, but that's only my view on him.

Is it fair that he gets to choose when he wants to retire? If it's in the best interest of the team shouldn't he have just hanged up the boots after the loss in the fourth test? Selfish? Hopefully Haddin can get a farewell test with him too.
 
BoondasH1 said:
Interesting to read the amount for love for Clarke above, he came across as too fake, but that's only my view on him.

Is it fair that he gets to choose when he wants to retire? If it's in the best interest of the team shouldn't he have just hanged up the boots after the loss in the fourth test? Selfish? Hopefully Haddin can get a farewell test with him too.
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I think a lot of the stuff that annoyed me about Clarke was around the Bingle days. He grew up fast.

He said he didn't want to ditch the team in the middle of a series. Sounds pretty reasonable to me. He also would have been given the home tests by selectors if he wanted and chose not to waste their time. I think he's spot on and deserves a final test.
 
My goodness, the print media gossip columnists at News Limited have come hard at Michael Clarke over the last few days. I watched the edition of "Press Box" on Fox Sports News yesterday afternoon and despite featuring the sensible Richard Hinds, he was sadly lumped with "sports writers" Anthony Sharwood and Ben Dorries.

Cricket journalism in this country is the pits - has been for quite some time. This is the problem when you employ people with no experience in the field of expertise in which they are required to critique. It's a bit like me telling Emily Seebohm how to swim because I bathe in water each day!!
 
Apparently Clarkey "never got" the Baggy Green culture. Funny...Warne says its all a load of BS and he is loved and revered despite being a bit of a twit at times, but an awesome tactician and player.

Then there's all the apparent feuds with Watson, Ponting, Siddle, Hussey...sorry, this is the professional age...don't have to be mates with everyone, just professional and do your job and his record says he did.

Oh, and he never scored 'needed' runs, or 'good' runs, or 'clutch' runs. Despite taking over the captaincy and being a lone gun a la Border for a bit.

Fark me.

Whilst he might not be everyone's cup of tea, the muck raking is in over drive.
 
Matty76 said:
My goodness, the print media gossip columnists at News Limited have come hard at Michael Clarke over the last few days. I watched the edition of "Press Box" on Fox Sports News yesterday afternoon and despite featuring the sensible Richard Hinds, he was sadly lumped with "sports writers" Anthony Sharwood and Ben Dorries.

Cricket journalism in this country is the pits - has been for quite some time. This is the problem when you employ people with no experience in the field of expertise in which they are required to critique. It's a bit like me telling Emily Seebohm how to swim because I bathe in water each day!!
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Sharwood & Dorries are absolute :goat:
 
Merv Hughes is a guest panelist on The Back Page tonight and he made a very good point: where was the reporting on all of these apparent issues/incidents/fractures after Australia's win at Lord's? He also had a very brief but telling whack at John Buchanan, who has followed in the footsteps of Matthew Hayden and Andrew Symonds in being critical of Pup over the last few days.

Whilst winning of course DOES hides a multitude of sins, it seems incredibly illogical that these SAME problems can suddenly and directly result in a formline of Loss, Win, Loss, Loss.
 
People have very short memories with Michael Clarke.

It was only a few years ago he was carrying the whole team on the back of his mountain of runs. With the retirement of Ponting and Hussey came leadership and some magnificent innings.

Think back to the centenary of the SCG test. He declared the innings closed when he was unbeaten on 329no. He was scoring freely and quickly, and evey chance of overtaking Bradman and Taylors 334 and possibly Matt Hayden's Australian record 380, along with Lara's world record 400. He selflessly declared. The result of that test? Australia won with more than a day spare! He could have batted as long as he wanted, but sacrificed personal records for the sake of the team.

His hundreds with a busted shoulder and dodgy back, the stoic way he held together himself and those around him during that terrible time of Phil Hughes passing and the subsequent performances in the tests last summer. The fight back from injury to help win the 2015 World Cup.

You also do not win 4 Allan Border medals for no reason.

Michael Clarke is an absolute Champion and he deserves a lot more respect and thanks than the rubbish that is currently being dished out.

Thanks for the memories Pup. I appreciate everything you have done for Australian Cricket.
 
Wookiedragon said:
People have very short memories with Michael Clarke.

It was only a few years ago he was carrying the whole team on the back of his mountain of runs. With the retirement of Ponting and Hussey came leadership and some magnificent innings.

Think back to the centenary of the SCG test. He declared the innings closed when he was unbeaten on 329no. He was scoring freely and quickly, and evey chance of overtaking Bradman and Taylors 334 and possibly Matt Hayden's Australian record 380, along with Lara's world record 400. He selflessly declared. The result of that test? Australia won with more than a day spare! He could have batted as long as he wanted, but sacrificed personal records for the sake of the team.

His hundreds with a busted shoulder and dodgy back, the stoic way he held together himself and those around him during that terrible time of Phil Hughes passing and the subsequent performances in the tests last summer. The fight back from injury to help win the 2015 World Cup.

You also do not win 4 Allan Border medals for no reason.

Michael Clarke is an absolute Champion and he deserves a lot more respect and thanks than the rubbish that is currently being dished out.

Thanks for the memories Pup. I appreciate everything you have done for Australian Cricket.
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Here, here.

I actually drove in that day against India expecting him to go past 400. When he got to 300, it was an absolutely amazing moment. And when he declared, the crowd went bonkers both ways - why and well done.
 
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