Public should give ‘Pup’ Clarke a fair go
April 9th, 2011 - 7:09 pm ICT by ANI
Sydney, Apr.9 (ANI): Former Australian fast bowler Stuart Clark has said that the sport crazy Australian public should give the country’s 43rd cricket captain Michael Clarke all the support to enable him to turn the team’s form around.
In an article for the Sydney Morning Herald, Clark says that he knows that former captain Ricky Ponting will extend all the support and skill that Clarke needs to lead the team forward after the World Cup debacle.
“After Don Bradman, Ponting is the best batsman Australia have had. He scored a hundred in his last outing, against India in the quarter-final of the World Cup, and he has played more than 350 one-day internationals. All that experience means he knows a little bit about the game, and there is no way he would run a campaign to undermine Clarke. This is the Australian cricket team, not the Australian Labor Party,” says Clark.
He also says that he is confused about why people have an issue with Ponting staying on as a player.
“I know the Australian way has traditionally been that a captain resigns as a player at the same time he relinquishes the leadership - but it does not have to be that way. Just because something has not been done for a long time, it does not mean it must be wrong? Look at Sachin Tendulkar, for one. His presence does not seem to affect Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team. They did just win the World Cup, after all,” Clark says.
“Clarke is his own man. He will want to stamp his authority on the team. He will want to be involved in all aspects of play and preparation, and he will want to have total control. If any player has a problem, Clarke is the man he will talk to. If any player creates a problem, he will feel Clarke’s wrath,” he adds.
“Doubtless, the captaincy will cause Clarke angst from time to time, and he, like all other captains, will have a few sleepless nights. But he has already proved he is prepared to make the tough calls when they are needed. It’s often said the captain of the Australian cricket team holds the second-highest office in the land, and certainly the baggy green is viewed with a reverence that is possibly unrivalled in Australian sport. That won’t change,” he concludes. (ANI)
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- Taylor praises Clarke for putting team ahead of personal milestones - Jan 05, 2012
- Clarke says Ponting's ODI career may not be over (Lead) - Feb 24, 2012
- Watson asks fellow players to clear their names - Oct 12, 2011
- Everyone has to perform in the team now: Clarke - Dec 21, 2011
- Clarke named new Australia captain - Mar 30, 2011
- Oz cricket greats back Clarke as Ponting successor - Nov 05, 2010
- Ponting survives axe, CA endorses him as skipper - Dec 31, 2010
- India will remember Roebuck for his indictment of Australian team - Nov 13, 2011
- Clarke right man to lead Australia: Lee - May 30, 2011
- Stage set for Tendulkar to get his 100th century: Ganguly - Jan 25, 2012
- Clarke will also turn out to be champion leader: Rixon - Aug 20, 2011
- Jaded Ponting cannot be rested, says Arthur - Feb 18, 2012
Tags: australian cricket team, captain michael, captain ricky, cricket captain, debacle, don bradman, fair go, little bit, mahendra singh dhoni, michael clarke, morning herald, own man, pup, ricky, sleepless nights, sydney morning herald, tendulkar, tough calls, world cup, wrath