Stuart Clark ruled out of South African tour

His elbow has flared up again and he's gawn. Career over? He is 33 already.

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/388184.html

And the inexorable slide into ordinariness continues...

Bad news!

Not a fan of his line and length stuff but he could have been very useful in SA

Bugger. We are so screwed.

Watching the Aussie team, and observing the coverage associated with it, is kind of like watching the coyote in the road runner cartoons.

He's already off the cliff and I'm just waiting for the 'crump' and the puff off dust as he hits the ground.

Bad news for Aus.

Clark was perhaps their best exponent to take advantage of SA pitches.

I think this clip is an almost perfect parallel for teh Aussie cricket team in recent years...

0:09 - 0:16 Aussies kit up and set off for 2005 Ashes
0:17 - 0:24 The Ashes 2005 series
0:25 - 0:40 Loads of wins, including the WC and the 5-0 Ashes win
0:40 Smug look at the rest of the world
0:42 TGM, tgm, NLWL, Gilly retire
0:45 Monkeygate
0:46 - 0:48 the year 2008 (falling but not trying much about it)
0:49 - 0:51 the home Tests and ODIs v South Africa (flapping madly to no avail)
0:52 - 0:58 the fall continues in 2009?

nice 1 Zat

Henry wrote:His elbow has flared up again and he's gawn. Career over? He is 33 already.

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/388184.html

I reckon he'll still play in the Ashes.

btw zat

Do you say your name like Vaas or cAt?
is it zat or zAt?

It was mainly Clark, plus the brief good form of Lee, which disguised the poverty of Australia's attack in 2007-08, so cruelly revealed this summer..

He is a serious loss.

PlanetPakistan wrote:btw zat

Do you say your name like Vaas or cAt?
is it zat or zAt?

It's zAt as in Howzat!

may as well pick Magoffin now

Bracken must be a chance.

I have a feeling they'll be preparing flat pitches in South Africa, mind.

peterg wrote:It was mainly Clark, plus the brief good form of Lee, which disguised the poverty of Australia's attack in 2007-08, so cruelly revealed this summer..

He is a serious loss.

Yes. He indeed is a serious loss for Australia. But will McGain be back? If he does, he might be of some relief at least.

Henry wrote:I have a feeling they'll be preparing flat pitches in South Africa, mind.

It's the craze that's sweeping the world!

A 37 year old debutant (McGain) is pushing it. I've gotta feeling they'll take Krejza. They need to find a younger guy and back him. McGain will be 37 in March, isn't very mobile in the field, and can't bat all that well. His first class bowling record isn't that great either- 57 wickets at 33.82

The McGain negatives outweigh the positives, imo.

Unforch, McGain may well be the best spinner in Aus atm.

At least he TURNS the ball. Or did in the Shield last season.

Krejza turns it as well.

seriously Zat, a 37yo is not the way to go.

I have no problem with Krejza being picked, but they have to stick with the bloke. Likewise I have no problem with McGain being picked, if it means Krazy gets a bit more time to work on his craft. Ireckon he's a good long-term prospect.

Henry wrote:A 37 year old debutant (McGain) is pushing it. I've gotta feeling they'll take Krejza. They need to find a younger guy and back him. McGain will be 37 in March, isn't very mobile in the field, and can't bat all that well. His first class bowling record isn't that great either- 57 wickets at 33.82

have you seen our other spinners FC averages? Makes McGain look like a world-beater in comparison

better to look at his record since the start of last season

JGK wrote:

Henry wrote:His elbow has flared up again and he's gawn. Career over? He is 33 already.

http://content-eap.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/388184.html

I reckon he'll still play in the Ashes.

Aye. Australia definitely needs Clark in the Ashes. However, if he has more injury problems after that, it might be time to move on.

Australia are screwed, the Saffies are going to win easy.