Michael Clarke (cricketer)

Not to be confused with Michael Clark (sportsman) or Michael Clarke (Barbados cricketer).

Michael John Clarke

Personal information
Full name	Michael John Clarke
Born	(1981-04-02) 2 April 1981 Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Nickname	Pup, Clarkey, Nemo, Top Dog, Eminem
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Batting style	Right-hand
Bowling style	Slow left-arm orthodox
Role	Batsman, Australian Captain
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 389*)	6 October 2004 v India
Last Test	26 December 2012 v Sri Lanka
ODI debut (cap 149)	19 January 2003 v England
Last ODI	3 September 2012 v Pakistan
ODI shirt no.	23
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2000–	New South Wales
2004	Hampshire
2011–	Sydney Thunder
2012–present	Pune Warriors India
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC List A Matches 92 223 154 291 Runs scored 7,275 7,307 11,625 9,231 Batting average 52.33 45.10 48.84 42.73 100s/50s 23/26 7/54 39/42 8/69 Top score 329* 130 329* 130 Balls bowled 2,292 2,489 3,436 3,199 Wickets 30 56 41 83 Bowling average 37.43 37.12 43.90 31.59 5 wickets in innings 2 1 2 1 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 6/9 5/35 6/9 5/35 Catches/stumpings 105/– 89/0 164/– 115/0
Source: Cricinfo, 01 February 2013

Michael John Clarke (born 2 April 1981) is a professional Australian cricketer and captain of the Australian cricket team for both Test and ODI cricket. Nicknamed "Pup", he is a right-handed middle-order batsman, and an occasional left-arm orthodox spin bowler. He represents New South Wales at a domestic level. In January 2011, Clarke stood down as captain of the Australian Twenty20 cricket team to concentrate on his Test and ODI performance. On 22 November 2012, Clarke scored a double century at the Adelaide Oval, making him the only Test batsman to ever achieve four double centuries in a calendar year. He is known for his partnerships with Mike Hussey.

Career

Michael Clarke made his debut for New South Wales as an eighteen-year-old in the 1999–2000 Sheffield Shield. Clarke made his One Day International debut in January 2003 against England at Adelaide. He was an AIS Australian Cricket Academy scholarship holder in 1999–2000.

On 1 May 2012 Clarke made his debut in the Indian Premier League for Pune Warriors India.

In 2013 Clarke was named captain of the Sydney Thunder in Australia's Twenty20 Big Bash League. Due to international commitments and injury, Clarke did not play any games for the Thunder and they went on to lose all eight games and finish bottom of the ladder.

International career

Clarke was chosen to make his Test debut against India at Bangalore, October 2004, despite having a first-class average below 40. He succeeded on debut, scoring 151 and consequently helping Australia to victory, invoking comparisons to past Australian batsmen such as Doug Walters and Mark Waugh. The innings, felt Peter Roebuck, was especially notable for its aggression and freedom. "Not that the assault was reckless," he added. "Indeed the control was impressive. Clarke calculated the risks and took his brains with him down the track. Of course he need [sic] a bit of luck, was plumb in front in the nineties, but few begrudged him his hundred. And everyone except his weary foes celebrated with him and his tearful family when he reached three figures. After all, he had advanced both the match and the game."

Clarke went on to play a major part^{[citation needed]} in Australia's 2–1 series victory, their first in India in over thirty years, contributing figures of 6 for 9 off 6.2 overs in the Fourth Test, which Australia lost. On his return to Australia he made another debut century, his first home Test in Brisbane against New Zealand, becoming one of the few Test cricketers to have achieved the feat of Test centuries on both their home and away debuts.^{[citation needed]} In recognition of his performance in the 2004 calendar year, he was awarded the Allan Border Medal in 2005.

Clarke's poor form during the 2005 Ashes series and his failure to score a Test century for over a year saw him dropped from the Test team in late 2005. Clarke had previously remarked that one of his career aims was to never be dropped from the Test team. In early 2006, after making his first first-class double century and scoring heavily in ODIs, Clarke was recalled for the tour of South Africa. He was then picked over Andrew Symonds for the April 2006 Tests against Bangladesh. Two consecutive centuries in the second and third Ashes Tests while Shane Watson was injured helped Australia to regain the Ashes and cemented Clarke's position in the Test team.^{[citation needed]}

Clarke then helped Australia retain the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies where they did not lose a game. After Damien Martyn's retirement he was elevated to number five in the batting line up. He had a superb tournament making four 50s including a 92 and a 93* against the Netherlands and South Africa. He also made an unbeaten 60 against South Africa in the semi final to guide Australia into the final at Barbados, against Sri Lanka.

Clarke faced only four balls for three runs in the ICC World Twenty20, when Australia were knocked out by India in the semi final. Two weeks later he made 130 against India in the first of a seven-match ODI series. He did not maintain that form in the remaining 6 matches mustering up just one fifty. He opened the batting in the final two games after a hip injury ruled out Matthew Hayden and he made two golden ducks. In the tour-ending Twenty20 match Clarke dropped back down the order with the return of Hayden, and scored 25 not out in a heavy defeat.

On 9 November 2007, Clarke notched up his fifth Test century against Sri Lanka in a two Test series. Clarke shared a 245 run partnership with Mike Hussey at the Gabba in Brisbane, Hussey departed on 133 but Clarke went on and had a partnership with Symonds who made 53*, the pair were unbeaten when Ricky Ponting declared the innings, Clarke top scoring with 145 not out. On 5 December 2007, Cricket Australia named Clarke as captain of Australia for their one-off Twenty20 game against New Zealand in Perth, after deciding to rest Ponting and Hayden.

Michael Clarke on his way to 99* against England at the Oval in 2010

On 6 January 2008, Clarke dismissed Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh and Ishant Sharma in the second last over of the day, with just eight minutes remaining, to claim the final three wickets and win the Test match for Australia (at one stage he was on a hat trick, dismissing Harbhajan Singh and RP Singh on consecutive deliveries). His innings figures were 3 for 5 in 1.5 overs. Australian captain Ricky Ponting had declared that morning, setting India a total of 333 to chase and allowing Australia arguably too little time to bowl out the visitors. Clarke's wickets ensured that Australia retained the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2008 and kept their world record equalling 16 match win streak alive.

After the retirement of Adam Gilchrist, in April 2008 Clarke was named vice-captain of the Australian side. Clarke missed the start of Australia's 2008 tour of the West Indies following the death of Bingle's father, meaning Hussey took over as vice-captain for the start of the tour.^{[citation needed]} Soon after Clarke joined up with the squad, he scored a century in the second Test in Antigua, going on to captain the side in the final two One Day Internationals, both of which were won, in the absence through injury of Ponting.

He was named man of the series in the two-Test series against New Zealand in Australia with scores of 110, 98 and 10, as well as being the top run-scorer in the three-Test series against South Africa in Australia.^{[citation needed]} Clarke won the 2009 Allan Border Medal in a tie with Ricky Ponting both scoring 41 points, and was named Test Cricketer of the Year.^{[citation needed]}

The SCG in 2012, as Clarke makes his way to scoring a ground record 329* against India.

Clarke has been unpopular with some members of the public. Some of the criticism revolves around his batting position at number five in Australia's Test line-up, with detractors accusing him of using much more inexperienced batsmen to protect him by having them bat higher up the order.

Captaincy of Australia

Clarke was named as captain of Australia's Twenty20 side in October 2009, taking over from the retired Ricky Ponting.^{[citation needed]} In January 2011, Clarke was named as stand-in captain for the fifth Test of the 2010-11 Ashes Series at the SCG, replacing the injured Ricky Ponting. He announced his retirement from Twenty20 International cricket on 7 January 2011, to concentrate on the longer forms of the game. When Ponting stood down from the captaincy of the Australian Test and ODI sides after the 2011 World Cup, Clarke was appointed as his permanent replacement in both roles.

In January 2012, in the second Test of Australia's home series against India and after a string of Test centuries since becoming captain, Clarke became the first Australian batsman since Matthew Hayden in 2003 to score a triple hundred. He joined with Ricky Ponting (134) in a partnership of 288, then added 334 with Michael Hussey (150*) before declaring on 329*. This match against India was the 100th test to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and Clarke's score was both the highest ever made in an Australia-India test (surpassing V. V. S. Laxman's 281 from the 2000/01 season) and the highest ever achieved at the ground. The ground high score record had been held for more than a century by Englishman Reg "Tip" Foster's 287 scored in the 1903/04 season. Clarke led Australia to a 4–0 win and was named the player of the series, having scored 626 runs at an average of 125.20. He joined his triple century in Sydney with a double-century (210) in the first innings of the fourth Test in Adelaide. His 386-run partnership with Ponting (who scored 221) was the fourth-highest in Australian Test history. Following the Frank Worrell Trophy 2012, Ian Chappell said Clarke "is quickly establishing a well-deserved reputation for brave and aggressive captaincy. His entertaining approach is based on one premise: trying to win the match from the opening delivery. This should be the aim of all international captains, but sadly it isn't."

Personal life

During the Australian Cricket tour of New Zealand in March 2010, Clarke left the tour to return to Sydney for "personal reasons". In a late night press conference on 12 March 2010, Clarke's management confirmed he and then-fiance, model Lara Bingle, had decided to terminate their engagement. Speaking to GQ Australia in November 2010, Clarke said of his decision to leave the tour of New Zealand, "My decision that I made there, was what I thought was right. I respect playing for my country that much that I thought, if I’m going to let anybody down, I shouldn’t be here — there’s somebody else who could be doing a better job than me. Going home was the right decision at the time for me. I don’t regret that decision."

Clarke married model and presenter Kyly Boldy on 15 May 2012.

Career highlights

Tests

Main article: List of international cricket centuries by Michael Clarke

• Clarke's debut Test score of 151 was made against India in Bangalore, 2004–05; he then made 141 against New Zealand in November 2004 on his debut on home-soil at the Gabba (Brisbane, Australia), making him the only Australian to score a century on both home and away debuts.
• His best Test bowling figures of 6 for 9 (6.2) came against India, Mumbai, 2004–05.
• His first Ashes century came in December 2006, when he hit 124 at the Adelaide Oval to help Australia to victory.
• He dismissed India's last three batsman out in five balls on the fifth day of the 2nd Test against India on January 6, 2008.
• He won Australian Man of the Series in the 2009 Ashes Series. He was nominated by England team director Andy Flower for his "excellent batting".
• He was named full-time one-day and Test captain of Australia on 29 March 2011.
• Clarke's highest Test batting score of 329* was made on 5 January 2012 against India. This is the highest Test match batting score at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and the 4th best Test match batting score of all time by an Australian.
• Clarke followed up his 329* in Sydney with 210 in Adelaide, thereby joining Don Bradman and Wally Hammond as the only players to have made a triple century and a double century in the same series.
• Clarke's score of 259* made at the Gabba on 9 November 2012 against South Africa is the highest Test score at the ground.
• Clarke is the only Test batsman ever to reach four double centuries in a single calendar year, with a double century (230) at the Adelaide Oval on 22 November 2012.

An innings-by-innings breakdown of Clarke's Test match batting career as at 5 January 2012, showing runs scored (bars – not out innings in orange, others in blue) and the career to-date batting average (red line). An alternative image showing a 10 innings moving average is also available.

Test centuries

Key

• * denotes that he remained not out.
• ♠ denotes that he was the captain of the Australian team in that match.

Test Match Centuries of Michael Clarke
#	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Year
1	151	1	India	Bangalore, India	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium	2004
2	141	5	New Zealand	Brisbane, Australia	The Gabba	2004
3	124	24	England	Adelaide, Australia	Adelaide Oval	2006
4	135*	25	England	Perth, Australia	WACA	2006
5	145*	28	Sri Lanka	Brisbane, Australia	The Gabba	2007
6	118	33	India	Adelaide, Australia	Adelaide Oval	2008
7	110	34	West Indies	North Sound, Antigua	Sir Vivian Richards Stadium	2008
8	112	38	India	Delhi, India	Feroz Shah Kotla	2008
9	110	41	New Zealand	Adelaide, Australia	Adelaide Oval	2008
10	138	44	South Africa	Sydney, Australia	Sydney Cricket Ground	2009
11	136	49	England	London, England	Lord's	2009
12	103*	50	England	Birmingham, England	Edgbaston	2009
13	166	58	Pakistan	Hobart, Australia	Bellerive Oval	2010
14	168	59	New Zealand	Wellington, New Zealand	Basin Reserve	2010
15	112♠	72	Sri Lanka	Colombo, Sri Lanka	Sinhalese Sports Club Ground	2011
16	151♠	73	South Africa	Cape Town, South Africa	Newlands	2011
17	139♠	75	New Zealand	Brisbane, Australia	The Gabba	2011
18	329*♠	78	India	Sydney, Australia	Sydney Cricket Ground	2012
19	210♠	80	India	Adelaide, Australia	Adelaide Oval	2012
20	259*♠	84	South Africa	Brisbane, Australia	The Gabba	2012
21	230♠	85	South Africa	Adelaide, Australia	Adelaide Oval	2012
22	106♠	88	Sri Lanka	Melbourne, Australia	Melbourne Cricket Ground	2012
23	130♠	90	India	Chennai, India	M. A. Chidambaram Stadium	2013
Clarke is the highest run-maker in Test matches at the SCG on 329*, succeeding Reginald Foster, who previously held the record, with a score of 287. After his double century at the Adelaide Oval in November 2012, Clarke became the only player in Test Cricket history to score 4 double centuries in a single calendar year. This feat also includes an unbeaten triple century.

One-Day Internationals

• Clarke's highest ODI batting score of 130 was made against India, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, 2007
• His best ODI bowling figures of 5 for 35 came against Sri Lanka, at Dambulla, 2003–04
• He was the captain of Australia for the 2009 One Dayers as well as Twenty20 matches vs England
• He was named full-time one-day and test captain of Australia on 29 March 2011.

A match-by-match breakdown of Clarke's ODI batting career as at 23 January 2012, showing runs scored (bars – not out innings in orange, others in blue) and the career to-date batting average (red line). An alternative image showing a 10 match moving average is also available.

One-Day International centuries

Key

• * denotes that he remained not out.
• ♠ denotes that he was the captain of the Australian team in that match.

One Day International Match Centuries of Michael Clarke
#	Runs	Match	Against	City/Country	Venue	Year
1	105*	28	Zimbabwe	Harare, Zimbabwe	Harare Sports Club	2004
2	103*	40	Pakistan	Sydney, Australia	Sydney Cricket Ground	2004
3	130	113	India	Bangalore, India	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium	2007
4	100♠*	155	Pakistan	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	Sheikh Zayed Stadium	2009
5	111♠*	179	India	Visakhapatnam, India	ACA-VDCA Stadium	2010
6	101♠	196	Bangladesh	Dhaka, Bangladesh	Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium	2011
7	117♠	212	Sri Lanka	Adelaide, Australia	Adelaide Oval	2012

References

• Roebuck, Peter. "Pup's a brand new dog." Cricinfo. 1 October 2008. [1] (accessed 28 October 2008).
• Daniel Brettig. "It's now about gaining respect as a leader" Interview Cricinfo. 18 April 2011. [2]
• Channel 9. "Live Telecast.1/12/11 Clarke drops easy catch"

External links

• Official Michael Clarke website
• Cricinfo profile on Michael Clarke
• HowSTAT! statistical profile on Michael Clarke
• Michael Clarke (cricketer) on Twitter