“The band has got PH on it. I will wear it every game I play for Australia. It’s been a really tough few months. I’m sure everybody standing on this stage will say we played this World Cup with 16 players. This victory is dedicated to our little brother Phillip Hughes. Hughesy used to party as good as any of them so I guarantee we’ll celebrate hard tonight,” Clarke said in the post-match presentation ceremony after Australia beat New Zealand to lift the 2015 ICC World Cup.
Not many would have bet on Michael Clarke finishing his One-Day International (ODI) career with a crowd of 93,000 giving him a standing ovation. Not even four years back, when he was booed by the Brisbane crowd. The venue was the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the occasion was a world cup final. It was unlikely that the stage could have gotten bigger.
He wasn’t the most loved figure – among public or teammates during his initial years. In a poll carried out four summers back by an Australian daily, he wasn’t the most popular name among the readers of the newspaper to lead Australia.
He was self-obsessed, over-concerned about his hairdo, his tattoos and extensive plans with his former girlfriend Lara Bingle. Everything didn’t go well with how people around him would’ve wished. His tussles with Simon Katich, Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson among others became public. His childlike arrogance often didn’t rub off well. He was the quintessential pup, but not the most loved one.
He was a young batting sensation in a line-up of ageing stars – Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Hussey and Adam Gilchrist among others. On the field, he was agile and as good as anybody in the world when he had come in. He could dive and save crucial runs at backward point and make direct throws at the stumps on will. His run of poor form too wasn’t long enough. He needed to be an Indian to be loved for his performance, overlooking his personal choices.
But with hemispheres the cricket cultures change and so do the equations with fan. Despite being the heir apparent to Ricky Ponting’s position of the Australian captain, there were scepticism over how well would Clarke work out as a leader.
The legacy of Allan Border, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting was humongous. They had forged arguably the most dominant cricket side ever. Clarke took over at a point where the cricket was going through a transition phase. The aura was lost and Australians didn’t instill fear in the opposition camps. They couldn’t walk into a match with any sort of mental advantage.
Clarke’s form improved, but the side could do little to win matches. They couldn’t find suitable openers to replace Hayden and Langer, no spinner after Shane Warne. The pace bowlers were good, but far from the league of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee. Barring himself in the middle order, no other player was consistent enough.
They succumbed against spin in India and pace in South Africa. They lost three consecutive Ashes series. Disharmony in the side forced Cricket Australia (CA) to sack coach Mickey Arthur. His relationship with deputy Shane Watson soured.
After the second defeat in the 2013-14 Ashes series, Clarke said in the press match conference that the series was far from over and Australia still had it in them to come back harder and win it 3-2. The English press and cricket fans laughed off at his audacity. He din’t win. The series ended with 3-0 in England’s favour.
However, in a matter of months, with Darren Lehmann at the helm as coach the transformation had taken place. Australia regained the Ashes with a thumping 5-0 finish. Clarke’s brand of captaincy was lauded. He attacked with his field placement and allowing Mitchell Johnson to unleash the beast of pace within him.
His idea of captaincy was simple – attack. Sometimes, it is as bizarre as a kheema topping on a pizza. On Day One of the Mohali Test in 2013 against India, Australia were reeling at 237 for nine. Their inability to play spin on a first day wicket meant that only Michael Clarke and Mathew Wade could make score well. With five overs of play still left, Clarke decided to declare the innings. Australia lost by an innings and, not surprisingly, Clarke received flak for his decision making.
He was aggressive, but often tip-toed on the line of being foolhardy. No one, not even Clarke himself knew where to draw the line. His brand of captaincy eventually went on to be associated with this style – as aggressive as one has ever seen a captain be. The difference was the move didn’t pay off initially while it reaped rich dividends as the days progressed. What remained constant was his principle of playing cricket – attack to win.
When New Zealand were walking away with an easy win in the group game after being set against a target of 152 by Australia, Clarke went full out on attack. The fact that Mitchell Starc was bowling one of his finest spells helped Australia get back in the game and from there to a winning position. They lost was a matter of fact that history will show. What it doesn’t is Clarke’s brilliance with his creative field setting, bowling changes and attacking game.
But the moment when the Australian crowd and world cricket accepted him with all their love, unfortunately for him happened to be a devastating moment – the death of Phillip Hughes. He paid tribute with a lump in his throat; every time he chocked, cricket fans cried with him. He celebrated the life of his ‘younger brother’, spoke on behalf of the Hughes family and led with dignity the entire procession of giving the 25-year old a fitting farewell.
He had won hearts, he had won all his critics and haters back. But a string of injuries had kept him away from limited overs cricket for long. Most of the Australian matches in his final cricket year was led by George Bailey. Eventually, there reached a point when it was questioned whether Clarke is becoming a liability to the side. Whether he is taking up the place of someone more deserving. Eventually, as it turned out Bailey himself had to sit out every time Clarke was match fit.
But the world cup was his last and biggest test. By the time the tournament had started, he was already a loved figure Down Under, he was a respected captain and had a fearsome side. He simply had to deliver in front of his home fans, live up to the legacy of the great Australian captains.
He recovered well from his injury to be selected into the Australian squad; but far from being fully fit. By the time he was set to lead Australia, they were done with three matches in the group stage – having won just one of those encounters. The start wasn’t the best, but under Clarke, Aussies found their winning ways. But personal form deserted him.
In the semi final against India, Clarke alongwith Shane Watson squandered a perfect platform. They wasted deliveries and looked scratchy in the middle. An Indian batting collapse took them to the final.
The moment was big and the Australian crowd had stood up at the fall of David Warner’s wicket. Clarke was about to come out to bat for the last time in limited-overs cricket. In his 245th ODI, he was the fourth highest run-scorer for Australia – behind Riky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh.
Even as Australia were in command of the match, a likely batting collapse couldn’t have been ruled out. Trent Boult and Matt Henry were looking good, managing to get the edges off the bat at regular intervals. Clarke too got lucky with the ball flying over the slip fielders and on vacant spots in the field.
He looked smoother as the innings progressed, almost as if he was letting off all his inhibitions. World cricket’s grandest prize was at stake, but Clarke looked free from all the shackles. He wasn’t reckless with his shot-making, but looked at complete ease, as if the moment never got to him; neither the nervousness a world cup final nor the occasion of his farewell innings. He rolled back years and hit some sublime shots.
He raced past Steve Smith who had come into bat much earlier and was involved in half-century stand with Warner. In the 112-run stand, Clarke scored 74. Inability to spot a slower delivery from Henry led to his final downfall.
He walked back to the pavilion, almost reliving his childhood dream. Of watching over 93,000 cricket lovers giving him a standing ovation, rival skipper walking up to shake hands and the gallery applauding a great career.
He lifted the trophy, second time as a player and the first time as the leader. In the post match presentation ceremony, he proudly showed off the black armband he wore in memory of Hughes to whom the victory was dedicated.
In a productive career, that would be remembered, Clarke ended up beaten his opponents, his critics and the perceptions that threatened to eat up all his good.
Pup walked away as the winner!
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