Re: Michael Clarke is a toxic piece of shit

by Big Dog Sat 08 Aug 2015, 08:33

whitburn wrote:FFS. How fickle and disloyal are cricket fans the world over? England are going 3-1 up against the team rated 2 in the world on day three of this match later today yet Lyth, Cook, Bell, Ballance, Butler to name just a few have been recently slaughtered for being poor batsmen, poor fielders and in Cook's case a poor captain. Michael Clarke? Aussie fans hold your heads in abject shame. The man might talk some crap on the field with his sledging but has over 8600 runs for your team. A best of 329 not out. Averages a gnat's under 50. Gets them at a strike rate of 56 per 100 balls. Has 28 tons and 27 50s. Get farking real and get some loyalty. England and Australian fans alike.

The real test of a captain is to stand up & lead the way for the rest of the team when all else is failing. In this role, Clarke has failed dismally.

by Fred Nerk Sat 08 Aug 2015, 08:56

To: 'Michael Clarke'

From: 'Fred'@nerktealeafreadingservs.com

These days nobody much except Shane Warne is supporting you, his currency is hardly booming, and even he is expressing 'support' by laying into your main captaincy rival rather than by highlighting your strengths. Some may believe Warne is merely being his usual noisy git....many may see an agenda. The Noise will soon declare said agenda as driven by you. Regardless, Warne is and will be no help whatever.

Pup, you're gone. Go home and enjoy fatherhood.

by Henry Sat 08 Aug 2015, 09:00

Clarke has the look of a man on his last legs. And his batting is not what it once was. Boycs (as he so often is) is right- Clarke constantly has the short ball in the back of his mind these days, which means he is getting rooted to the crease.

He also has a dodgy back and hamstrings, and pretty much everyone in and around the Australian team hates him or at least mildly dislikes him. All of those things combined must be draining. I'm sorry, but he just doesn't seem like a genuine, down to earth bloke. And he seems to have fallen out with far too many people for it to be always their fault- Katich, Hussey, Watson, Ponting, Lehmann.....things have gone sour between Clarke and all of them. His interviews with the media always seem to be given with a put-on bluntness and abrasiveness. He certainly doesn't come across as the most approachable of international cricketers. He seems insecure and a control freak, and he still can't handle not being a selector anymore.

If he had a better relationship with certain people in Power in Australian Cricket, he might not be so close to being unceremoniously dumped from the side. As it is he doesn't have a very large reserve of credit with some people who are looking for an excuse to get rid of him.

For a three year period from 2011 until the end of 2013, he was an excellent batsman, particularly in Australia on flatter pitches. His innings against South Africa in Cape Town last year was superb. Really top drawer and full of courage.

Very good batsman, but a qunt.

by taipan Sat 08 Aug 2015, 09:03

What are the odds on a resignation today?

by Big Dog Sat 08 Aug 2015, 09:08

taipan wrote:What are the odds on a resignation today?

The prick will never resign. He will have to be fired.

by Henry Sat 08 Aug 2015, 09:21

Some people called it about six months ago- He should have retired after the World Cup.

by Nath Sat 08 Aug 2015, 10:12

http://www.foxsports.com.au/cricket/the-ashes/ashes-2015-michael-clarke-set-to-retire-at-the-end-of-disastrous-series/story-e6frf3gl-1227475619972

they're saying he will retire at the end of the series. big gain for Melbourne Stars lol!

by Brass Monkey Sat 08 Aug 2015, 10:16

Yeah they just put that on a couple of our newspaper websites.

by Fred Nerk Sat 08 Aug 2015, 10:21

May get a few more bums on seats for the first few games, but from the pure playing viewpoint it's hardly Barassi to Carlton. Hasn't he been pretty crap at the short-forms just about since he first became Test skipper?

by Red Sat 08 Aug 2015, 10:23

Stars are paying a lot of money for someone who does not excel in that format.

It has been reported recently that he has been feuding with Rod Marsh for a year or so. At the beginning of last summer, he seemed headed for the outer but the death of Phil Hughes changed all that.

He was an excellent batsman at his apogee but a chunk of his purple patch was also against an Indian team whose pie chuckers held up the white flag quite early on the flat pitches of Sydney and Adelaide. They even temporarily revived a struggling Punter's career. There will be many who probably won't rate Clarke as highly as Punter and Steve Waugh among the modern test captains. He has always found it difficult batting higher than his favourite number five spot.

by Fred Nerk Sat 08 Aug 2015, 10:53

Craps all over Punter as a captain but nowhere near Waugh. His best innings was his first double v Sith Eff (mainly batting with Cowan, went in at 3-sod all chasing 450), second best his debut or the triple. His best series as a captain was SA 18 months ago. Possible Oz ATG 3rd XI - no higher, still too prone to getting out stupidly too far into his career.

by Growler Sat 08 Aug 2015, 11:12

Red wrote:Stars are paying a lot of money for someone who does not excel in that format.

It has been reported recently that he has been feuding with Rod Marsh for a year or so. At the beginning of last summer, he seemed headed for the outer but the death of Phil Hughes changed all that.

He was an excellent batsman at his apogee but a chunk of his purple patch was also against an Indian team whose pie chuckers held up the white flag quite early on the flat pitches of Sydney and Adelaide. They even temporarily revived a struggling Punter's career. There will be many who probably won't rate Clarke as highly as Punter and Steve Waugh among the modern test captains. He has always found it difficult batting higher than his favourite number five spot.

That's no real surprise though Red -and nothing to do with Pups captaincy credentials (or lack of).

Lets be honest, you or me could have captained many of SRW or RTPs teams. They skippered some of the greatest XIs in the history of Australian - nay world - cricket. With the best will in the world, neither of the other two would lead the current XI to the kind of domination they once had ..... the current squad are simply not as good as those retired in the last 10-12 years.

by Henry Sat 08 Aug 2015, 11:24

I think it's been said of Clarke in the past that he's a great captain, but not a great leader.

by Growler Sat 08 Aug 2015, 11:30

Aye Trev - there's actually a big difference between the two.

by Red Sat 08 Aug 2015, 11:48

As mentioned in the game thread, Clarke has announced, with Warney, that he will finish at The Oval.

by Fred Nerk Sat 08 Aug 2015, 12:00

Why did he announce it 'with Warne'?

by eowyn Sat 08 Aug 2015, 12:04

Warne interviewed him at the start of the Sky programme this morning and he announced it then.

by Fred Nerk Sat 08 Aug 2015, 12:11

Big hint of 'up yours' there....Fox (who will always choose the more conflict-laden of two possible interpretations) suggesting strongly this announcement was not quite all Michael's own work...

by taipan Sat 08 Aug 2015, 12:17

taipan wrote:What are the odds on a resignation today?

by Henry Sat 08 Aug 2015, 12:18

Fred Nerk wrote:Big hint of 'up yours' there....Fox (who will always choose the more conflict-laden of two possible interpretations) suggesting strongly this announcement was not quite all Michael's own work...

Well surely they are right. There's no way Clarke would have survived this if he'd decided to dig his heels in. They've given him a chance to bow out gracefully and he's taken it.

Will be interesting if he hits a double hundred at the Oval, though.

by Fred Nerk Sat 08 Aug 2015, 12:25

I think there's agreement Clarke is cooked....but if he and the ACB were in total agreement then presumably there would have been somebody else closer to the team with him, maybe Boof, maybe even the new skipper (to make the baton-pass look specially harmonious)

by beamer Sat 08 Aug 2015, 13:15

Red wrote:As mentioned in the game thread, Clarke has announced, with Warney, that he will finish at The Oval.

What, Warne's finishing at the Oval as well? One-off comeback game?

by PeterCS Sat 08 Aug 2015, 13:19

Warney never finishes.

by Merlin Sat 08 Aug 2015, 14:43

PeterCS wrote:Warney never finishes.

Both Warne and Clarke - absolute qunts .... both gob-shites.

by skully Sat 08 Aug 2015, 14:47

Welly well well. Not sure if this is an "honourable" thing ala a political leader in the wake of defeat, or a "fark this, this is all too hard". I suspect it's more of the latter (and that's hard to say as an unabashed Pup fan). Sad

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