The Clarke Captaincy

[from_the_stands]

Either Clarke or Smith will win 2 world cups, 2 CT's.

That could happen.

[meninblue]

Either Clarke or Smith will win 2 world cups, 2 CT's.

That could happen.

FTS, you are anointing again

[from_the_stands]

FTS, you are anointing again

It's quite possible that the Oz captaincy could turn out to be a poisened chalice akin to the spinner's role.

Consider this; Pup is out of form, taking over a team on a massive slide, and facing south Africe twice in the next 12 months, Sri Lanka and India. In 3 years time, a back-to-back Ashes, then the 2015 World Cup. If things go bad and Clarke isn't making runs, he'll get dropped.

Twatto steps up to take the captaincy, and injures himself in the process. Then what?

Punter, Katch and Mussey all retire, ruling any of them out.

Brad Haddin would probably be next in line at this point.

The selectors would then be eagerly lining up Haddin's replacement, which would possibly be Steven Smith.

Looking back over the years, there has been a certain predictability with Australian captains. Following Kim Hughes' teary resignation in the 80's, I wanted David Hookes to get the gig, but it went to Allan Border. In hindsight, I'm glad it was him. Mark Taylor was next. Warney could have come in ahead of Steve Waugh, although his off-field antics were always going to ruin that. Then we had Punter, now Clarke.

Potentially, after years of stability regarding the Oz captaincy, a period of instability is now on the cards. Having said all of this, the Oz captaincy might just transform Clarke into one of the finest players of his time, and under his leadership, Australia might scale the mountain once more...

[GordoninPortsmouth]

I doubt the Aus captaincy will ever get passed around that much for one simple reason: the rationale as to who gets the job is always the same...who is the most undroppable member of the side....they get the gig and are persisted with pretty much whatever...the results tend to look after themselves because the team will always play to a maximum for a captain that has their total respect...and that respect is most easily earnt by being the best player...Traditionally Aus have never held much store in the idea that a captain can transform a side through tactical brilliance...rather cricket is a simple game of bowl a ball, hit with a bat...and if you manage the basics well enough you will do alright.

So Clarke will probably have the gig for the rest of his career unless it really goes disastrously . If that does happen then Watson will get the job. If that doesn't work then things will be really grim for Aus cricket (possible) but then the board really will just pick the best young player to get the job done and set expectations at a majorly low level. So at worse you are likely to see no more than 3 (regular) Aus skippers between now and 2020 I would think.

[meninblue]

Clarke is already missing games due to back injury. How severe challenge will the back injury prove to Clarke

[englandmad666]

Well Clarke certainly has a big job on his hands, i guess this is the start of a new era, good luck to him england eagerly awaits your team in 2013

[SaintPowelly]

Clarke,Watson,Katich,Clark,Christian let any of them captain..as long as they've played for Hants, I wish them well ( unless KP defects to Aus )

[SaintPowelly]

Clarke,Watson,Katich,Clark,Christian let any of them captain..as long as they've played for Hants, I wish them well ( unless KP defects to Aus )

forgot about Phillip Hughes

[PardonWonTheCup]

I wish the selectors would.

[SaintPowelly]

I wish the selectors would.

I was waiting for that

[from_the_stands]

Michael Clarke has helped to get his full time tenure as captain under way positively with a 100 in the first ODI against Bangladesh. Too bad he didn't show similar form when Punter was captain.

[Silk]

It seems to me that Aus are in a bad place.

I realise the B. tour is a bit of a pointless exercise, but we've just come to the end of an Aus domestic season, right? Wouldn't an ODI tour to B. be the ideally place to try out the new up and coming players?

Instead, the core of the side includes a 33 year old wicket keeper, Hussey (days from his 36th birthday), Punter (already 36) and Lee (who's surely on his last legs)

And the 21 year old they picked isn't rated by anyone!

Where's the replacements for Lee, Ponting, Hussey and Haddin? And why aren't they playing?

[PardonWonTheCup]

It seems to me that Aus are in a bad place.

I realise the B. tour is a bit of a pointless exercise, but we've just come to the end of an Aus domestic season, right? Wouldn't an ODI tour to B. be the ideally place to try out the new up and coming players?

Instead, the core of the side includes a 33 year old wicket keeper, Hussey (days from his 36th birthday), Punter (already 36) and Lee (who's surely on his last legs)

And the 21 year old they picked isn't rated by anyone!

Where's the replacements for Lee, Ponting, Hussey and Haddin? And why aren't they playing?

Ask our selectors. They were more than happy to replace out-of-form players/injured players with out-of-form players in the Ashes. Now they seem to think it's job done and they can sit back and do nowt.

There are whole first class and Ryobi Cup comps full of out-of-form players they could have sent to Bangladesh. Lazy so and sos.

[from_the_stands]

The Clarke captaincy gets its first Test win, with a comprehensive victory in Sri Lanka! With an individual match aggregate of 83 runs, Pup looks to be aiming to lead by example, as Punter did before him. A good result against a formiddable opponent. May there be many more!

[PardonWonTheCup]

Anyone who can bring on MIKE HUSSEY to work his wiles on Sanga - and watch as it actually happens - should be buying tix in the next Euromillions rollover draw.

Arsey, arsey, arsey as...