Australia vs India 2014/15: Michael Clarke to join Channel Nine commentary team for Boxing Day Test

Michael Clarke joins the Nine commentary team for the third Test

Injured Australian captain Michael Clarke will don the new role of a commentator during the Boxing Day Test between Australia and India, starting on Friday at Melbourne. The 33-year-old will be part of the Channel Nine commentary team that includes the likes of Ian Chappell, Mark Taylor and Shane Warne among others. The Test match will also mark the return of legendary commentator Bill Lawry.

Clarke was ruled out of the ongoing Test series against India after suffering a hamstring injury on the final day of the first Test at Adelaide. The right-hander, however, did undergo a successful hamstring surgery last week.

Confirming the news, Nine network’s executive producer for cricket, Brad McNamara, said that he was very happy to have got Clarke on the commentary panel.

“Its an absolute thrill to have Michael on board, he joins a long list of Australian Test captains we’ve had in the Wide World of Sports commentary box,” he said.

“We’re really looking forward to him joining us and offering his insights on cricketers he plays with and against on a regular basis,” he added.

It would be a new experience for me: Clarke

Clarke himself seemed quite excited about his new role, but added that it would be a different experience for him to speak about the performance of his own teammates.

“I’ll have a very different view of the Boxing Day Test this year,” he wrote in his News Ltd column.

“Channel Nine have kindly asked me to be part of the commentary team for the match, so I’ll be flying down to Melbourne on Christmas Day to join them.I’m not sure what to expect. It will certainly be unusual watching the boys from the booth rather than being out there with them on the field.

“Still, it has got to be an improvement on the last Test, which I watched first from a hospital bed and then from my couch.

“I channeled all that restless energy into my Twitter account and, from the sound of it, I filled up quite a few of your news feeds (sorry about that!).

“I’m sure the commentary work in Melbourne will distract me from tweeting too much this time around,” he added.

Great to have Bill Lawry back: McNamara

Talking about the return of Lawry, McNamara said that everybody was eager to hear him commentate again.

“All the guys are genuinely excited to have Bill back – he is an absolute legend in the world of sports commentary and he’s great fun as well,” McNamara said.

“He brings that unbridled enthusiasm that just can’t be replaced.”

The Australian batting line-up, barring David Warner and Steven Smith, haven’t had a great series so far, but Clarke believes that the likes of Shane Watson, Brad Haddin and Chris Rogers have contributed immensely to the team’s cause in the past and cannot be counted out so early.

“‘Hadds might not have made a big impression in the runs column over the past couple of Tests, but he has been flawless with the gloves,” Clarke wrote.

“And let’s not forget his contributions with the bat last summer. The Ashes series might have played out quite differently without his valuable runs down the order.”

About Watson, Clarke added that while he may not have done a lot with the bat so far this series, he does bring an element of balance to the side with his ability to keep it tight with the ball at one end.

“He brings tremendous balance to the team and, from what the boys are telling me, he’s absolutely creaming them in the nets,” he wrote.

Clarke also said that with him not being a part of the line-up, it becomes imperative to have someone as experienced as Chris Rogers to not only give the side good starts at the top but to also guide a youngster like Joe Burns, who has been drafted into the squad in place of an injured Mitchell Marsh.

.“It’s crucial to have experienced guys like these in a team when you’re bringing through youngsters like Joe Burns,” he said.

He also provided an update on his recovery from the hamstring surgery that he underwent last week.

“I have been told by medical staff that I am as in as good condition as I can be a week after undergoing the surgery.”