Australia

[Cricketman]

Bollinger is an absolute beauty. I can't believe Australia have left him out.

 

[Num]

My preferred team:

1. D.Warner
2. B.Haddin (wk)
3. S.Watson
4. M.Clarke (c)
5. C.White
6. M.Hussey
7. S.Smith
8. M.Johnson
9. S.Tait
10. D.Nannes
11. D.Bollinger/R.Harris (whoever is named as replacement, Harris would bat at No.9)

 

[aussie1st]

If Clarke isn't at 3 I would throw him down to 6 or 7 to steady a collapse. That way we don't need to worry about him pacing an innings, hes either there to steady a collapse or hit out.

 

[Num]

If Clarke isn't at 3 I would throw him down to 6 or 7 to steady a collapse. That way we don't need to worry about him pacing an innings, hes either there to steady a collapse or hit out.

I think Clarke ought to be given more chances in the upper/middle order in T20s. He showed he can guide a chase in the second T20I Australia had against New Zealand earlier this year. Australia only lost by 1 run against Zimbabwe (a loss nonetheless of course), so it wasn't as if it was a loss by a large margin because of Clarke's pacing.

 

[Biggy]

Before i ridicule this stunning statement can i ask why you dont find Nannes to be any good?

I said I don't find him that good, not I don't find him any good. More of a personal opinion, so chill.

 

[Aussie Team]

I know I won't be successful like that, so for me it's important to play my way: to play cricket shots, to use my strengths, my speed, my running between wickets, my energy in the field, and then if I have to bowl.

This is what he said so its petty good to score 49 off 42.But need some big score from him.

 

[khalek]

I would like to see Watson coming down the order and trying to add more flair at the end/finish games with his baseball style hitting Clarke should open with Warner I think, it will make a good combination with Warner trying to whack it around with Clarke taking his time, a bit like Sehwag/Gambhir.

I don't know what's wrong with Watto's bowling really, I think he's struggling to get his length right.

 

[sifter132]

#3 is the one and only spot for Clarke IMHO - maybe #4
Why not open? Well I think team strategy wise you want to let loose your 2 bashers and give them a chance at putting the opposition on the back foot with a ripping start and in the ideal world give them a great chance at hitting a quick century. Playing Clarke with Warner would just make Warner feel like he has to do all the work.

And individual wise, Clarke's strengths are as quoted earlier, running between the wickets and playing 'cricket shots'. Opener is not the place to showcase running between the wickets unless it's dropping at your feet for a quick single - there's no challenging of deep fielders. It also would probably mean he doesn't face much spin and Clarke is one of the better spin players we have. He won't bash them like Haddin, but he'll work them pretty easily with footwork. Another reason to have him at #3 or lower.

If Clarke isn't at 3 I would throw him down to 6 or 7 to steady a collapse. That way we don't need to worry about him pacing an innings, hes either there to steady a collapse or hit out.

Agree with this. If the openers go well and bat for 6+ overs, I'd be tempted to skip Clarke altogether and swap up Haddin to #3 to keep the momentum going. I got the impression during the T20 games over summer that Haddin had the pads on during the first 6, but then took them off straight after. If that wicket fell the idea seemed to be to let Haddin use the fielding restrictions at #3, and then have Clarke come in and steady afterwards. I don't mind that either. But I think there should be a cutoff after which Clarke shouldn't come in, 10 overs maybe. White and Hussey have too much ammunition to keep them waiting.

 

[pcfan123]

How about they just drop him from the Twenty20 side

 

[Zidanes]

Lee in the squad?

 

[aussie1st]

I think Clarke ought to be given more chances in the upper/middle order in T20s. He showed he can guide a chase in the second T20I Australia had against New Zealand earlier this year. Australia only lost by 1 run against Zimbabwe (a loss nonetheless of course), so it wasn't as if it was a loss by a large margin because of Clarke's pacing.

Problem is we lost in both cases. Hes certainly no Hussey in regards to pacing. I was looking at the scorecard, when Warner left the run rate required had gone from the starting 8.6 to 11.3 despite Warner going at a strike rate of 147. Clarke was 23 off 30 balls might have been less as well. That put way too much pressure on Warner to go even faster than he was and then the guys coming in to go faster.

 

[War]

How about they just drop him from the Twenty20 side

After the T20 WC hopefully. Fact is everyone knows including Clarke himself that he is not a T20 player. This tournament is make or break for him.

 

[TumTum]

Apart from Haddin, Clarke has the lowest T20 average from our squad, for a player that is supposed to guide an innings, that is a terrible stat.

 

[piriyanth]

According to cricinfo.

Shaun Tait and Nathan Hauritz are the only players in Australia's squad with a batting strike-rate below Michael Clarke's 108.83

:laugh

 

[TumTum]

o lol :laugh