5 possible replacements for Michael Clarke
The term ‘swag’ that is a part of common parlance today, was, I believe, described visually many years ago when a man named Michael John Clarke made his Test debut for Australia in 2004. Golden blonde beach hair, shiny ear studs, you would be excused for believing that Clarke got lost en route a rock concert and instead, landed with a baggy green on his head with a cricket bat in hand.But this was no accident. Clarke burst onto the international cricket scene in style scoring 151 against India in his debut match as well as returning with figures of 6 for 9 off 6.2 overs in the final test of the series. Though Australia lost the last match, Clarke was pivotal in helping them clinch the series 2-1, their first in 30 years. Clarke’s journey since then has seen him emerge as one of the modern greats of the game, though always missing out on elevating himself to the position of a Ricky Ponting or Sachin Tendulkar. Nevertheless, his flamboyant and assured style of play against pacers and spinners alike has led him to be the fourth highest run-getter in Tests for Australia.His dip in form and playing with a much-worn out and abused back sees Clarke retiring from all forms of the sport after the current Ashes series. While the selectors may have found a ready replacement in Steve Smith as the future captain, replacing Clarke the batsman is not going to be an easy task.With the axing of Brad Haddin and the imminent retirement of Chris Rogers, the Australian batting line-up is once again going to see a transition phase and we look at the possible replacements that could fill the gaping hole that Clarke is leaving behind.
#1 Glenn Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell’s claim to fame has been his devastating, attacking game that has definitely sealed his place as one of the most destructive batsmen in the shorter forms of the game. His scintillating form in IPL 2014 playing for Kings XI Punjab saw him prove why he has earned the nickname – ‘Big Show’ and he also played a pivotal role in Australia’s World Cup winning campaign.
It was during this tournament that he scored his first ODI ton for the country smashing 102 run off 53 balls against Sri Lanka – hitting the fastest World Cup 50 by an Australian and equalling the third-fastest in tournament history.
He has till date played just three Test matches without having much of an impact. His inconsistent form and perceived lack of Test match temperament has seen him being overlooked by the selectors more often than not.
However, a successful county stint at Yorkshire, scoring 140 crucial in the team’s recently concluded Division One four-day match against Durham gaining him much praise from the critics of the game.
He came in at a time when Yorkshire’s scorecard read 79/5 his positive, clean hitting meant that by the time he was dismissed, the Yorks had reached a massive lead of 333 runs. This match and the fact that Maxwell has settled well into the Australian ODI and T20 teams means he is confident of getting a Test recall – a move that should work in Australia’s favour given that he is more than a handy spinner.