Michael Clarke - ALMOST a legend?

Clarke’s career was filled with highs and lows

Michael John Clarke – The Captain, The Batsman, The Poster Boy. But, Michael Clarke – The legend?

Before Captaincy

Michael Clarke began his cricketing journey in the baggy green in the October of 2004 against India. At Bangalore, the brash 23-year-old golden boy of Australian cricket did what the greats in the glory years past always dreamed of – conquering the final frontier, the square-turners in India that they treated as Kryptonite – with a dominating 151 on debut.

He followed up the 151 in Bangalore with a 141 against New Zealand at home. But what really shot Clarke, nicknamed ‘Pup’, into the limelight was his first tryst with the ultimate test challenge for an Australian cricketer – The Ashes.

Ashes 2005 will be etched in the memory of every cricket fan. But Ashes 2005 also marked the arrival of Michael Clarke to the international arena. With an exquisite 91 on Ashes debut, he raked up 335 runs to be the third highest run scorer for the Australians. The series was lost, but it was evident by now, that a star was born.

Many argue that Michael Clarke was always destined for greatness. He was always earmarked to don the baggy green. He was selected to tour the final frontier in India with a domestic average of under 40. Michael Clarke’s ambition was simple: To NEVER be dropped. But, Steve Waugh had been dropped. Allan Border had been dropped. Even the great Don Bradman had been dropped.

So, when he was dropped in the 2005-06 series, Clarke was out of his depth. He didn’t know what it was like to be a struggling batsman. He didn’t know what it was like to lose form. He tried to dig himself out of it, but he simply didn’t know how to.

But Michael Clarke wanted to be indispensable – to be loved like no other, to be revered like no one else, to become a legend. Injuries in the test team set-up lead to a recall, and an opportunity – an opportunity to be never dropped again.

Cricketing legends aren’t made from scoring runs. If that were the case, Clarke’s 8643 runs would’ve surely made the cut. No, cricketing legends are made from sterner stuff. Runs scored in a crisis. Runs that take the game away. Runs that win you World Cups and Ashes’. Michael Clarke scored runs. And scoring over 8000 test runs would be enough for anyone else. But, Michael Clarke wasn’t just ‘anyone else’.

Clarke as a Captain

Clarke was never a crowd favourite. He was always in line to take over the reign from the illustrious Ricky Ponting. No one else was even in line to do so. Yet, when the time came in late 2011, questions were raised. Former team-mates and notable commentators questioned his attitude.

Could the man who always had it so easy take over a side with so much pride, so much honour and such a rich history? In a public poll held in 2011, Clarke got less than 15% votes to succeed Ponting. Cameron White, who wasn’t even in the team, got 40%. ‘Lesser players’ would’ve been a more popular choice. But NOT Michael Clarke.

Probably, because he didn’t epitomise the ‘Traditional Australian Way’ like his predecessors – Allan Border’s leadership, Mark Taylor’s tact, Steve Waugh’s resilience or Ricky Ponting’s aggression. Michael Clarke represented a bold, new Australia. An Australia that not even the general public was ‘comfortable’ with. He posed in underwear, he bought fancy cars and apartments, and dated models. That wasn’t the captain Australia deserved, was it?

Against this backdrop, Clarke took charge in 2011. He was booed in Ponting’s last test as captain. He was booed again on his debut as captain.

Clarke took over a team in transition – a team that didn’t spell horror for oppositions like times gone past. There was no Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden or even another Michael Clarke at his disposal.

Clarke scored a ton in his first series as captain against Sri Lanka and won the series as well. He then led an Australian party to a tricky tour of South Africa. South Africa were ranked Number 1 in the world at the time. Clarke scored heavily, including a glorious 151 at Cape Town. The away series against the number 1 team in the world was drawn at 1–1, and with it, Australia regained the top spot in the test rankings.

Michael Clarke, the captain had arrived. He was back to being the poster boy of Australian cricket. Four scores of over 200 in one calendar year were monumental. An average of 106 in the calendar year was astounding. Greatness was achieved. Now onto bigger things. Now, to become a LEGEND.

A public apology promising a fresh start followed an outpour of love from the general public. Clarke took the fickle nature in his stride and moved on to India. That’s when it changed all over again.

He failed in his first tour as a captain in India. Not just failed, but was blanked 0–4. News of unrest and dissatisfaction ran rampant in the media. Then came the ‘Homework-Gate’ that resulted in vice-captain Watson returning home. Former players spoke out again, and claims of selfishness against Clarke resurfaced. Clarke wanted to stamp his authority as the new ‘leader’. He still wasn’t accepted completely. The loss in the Champions Trophy in England made matters worse.

Ashes 2013 came with another resounding blow to Clarke’s credentials as the leader. Apart from a score of 187, the tour was not a very memorable one for the Baggy Greens. The Aussies handed over the urn, losing 0–3, and with it the credibility of bullying the Ashes.

The return leg of the Ashes proved a valuable lesson to Clarke, though not for the first time in his career. Mitchell Johnson and Co. demolished England. An Ashes 5–0 was in the portfolio of the golden boy.

How Clarke Fell Short of Becoming a Legend?

The Phil Hughes tragedy hit Australian cricket hard. Emotional turmoil took over the entire nation, and Australian cricket was in distress. An Indian touring party had arrived. The first test was delayed, but a game of international cricket was to be played.

If Michael Clarke was never an accepted leader, he was on that day. The Phil Hughes eulogy by the ‘leader’ rallied his team, his nation. Australia went on to win the first test in Adelaide as a tribute to Clarke’s ‘little brother’.

And then, once again, his back gave out. But he didn’t desert his team. He came back. He came back and scored a test hundred. His 28th and last one. Clarke batted through the pain, through the emotional turmoil and came out on top. The innings was so draining, they said he may never play again. He didn’t for very long.

He just about made the squad after a long drawn-out selection saga. Nothing came without drama with Michael Clarke. He reached the pinnacle of his ODI career as he lead Australia at the MCG against the rampaging Brendon McCullum and his band of rebels. He conquered the World Cup and soaked in the ovation at the MCG. The same MCG where he was booed in the test before assuming test captaincy. Cricket had its highs and lows. More so with Michael Clarke.

He probably should’ve retired then. But an away Ashes had always alluded him. And it did so again. Another away Ashes loss made him the most unsuccessful Australian test captain in recent times.

His captaincy record mirrored his own career. Almost unbeatable at home, not so special abroad. A whopping average of almost 63 at home against an average of under 40 away. 17 out of 28 test hundreds at home. A 14–3 win-loss record at home, against a 9–13 away record.

With over a hundred tests at an average of 49.30, Michael Clarke hung up his boots as the fourth highest test run-getter for the Australians. He is only the fourth batsman to play over a hundred tests and fall ONE agonising run short of an average of fifty – A statistic that defines Michael Clarke, the cricketer. ALMOST a legend.