Respect, but few runs, for Clarke
After a week in which his character has been assassinated by former teammates, a one-time best mate and ex-coaches, Michael Clarke finally found the respect he craved.
That it came from an England team which has fast-tracked his retirement plans with an Ashes thrashing is the biggest surprise.
In England, a land where he has enjoyed minimal success and mostly bad memories, Clarke was given a standing ovation from a respectful crowd as he came out to bat on Thursday, before walking through a guard of honour formed by the English players.
Captain Alastair Cook stepped forward to shake Clarke’s hand and give him a pat on the back.
Back home, Channel Nine missed the moment entirely as they squeezed in another ad break.
On the back of the questionable reaction to Clarke’s retirement announcement a fortnight ago, it said plenty about how he is perceived in his home nation.
This is a player, we are regularly told, who has never been fully embraced by the Australian public.
The batting prodigy who, for a period, was booed as much as he was cheered on home soil – most cuttingly when leading his team onto the SCG, his home ground, for an Ashes Test.
These days Clarke insists he doesn’t remember being booed as he walked out for the toss alongside Andrew Strauss in 2011, while filling in as skipper for an injured Ricky Ponting.
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He may have been able to wipe that ugly scene from his memory, but the brutal assessments of John Buchanan, Matthew Hayden and his one-time best mate Andrew Symonds in the past week will have been harder to ignore.
The trio have put forward their arguments why the 34-year-old, a veteran of 115 Tests, scorer of 8643 runs and counting, will not be remembered as a great of Australian cricket.
Because he once refused to field at short leg, Hayden explained.
And he has devalued the baggy green, Buchanan fumed.
Not a natural leader – that was the view of Symonds, who counted Clarke as a close mate until his own career fell apart.
It must be said England’s players have not always been enamoured with Clarke – his infamous “broken arm” sledge towards paceman Jimmy Anderson will attest to that.
But it didn’t stop them from affording him an sendoff designated for the greats of the game – the guard of honour.
“It’s something we discussed, you’ve got to pay respect to someone who’s played as well as he has, so it was a no-brainer,” said England allrounder Ben Stokes.
And when his brief, but entertaining, knock of 15 came to an end less than an hour later, the crowd rose as one again.
No less than he deserves, vice-captain-in-waiting David Warner believes.
“All the greats of the game deserve that credit,” Warner said.
“He’s been a fantastic captain, a fantastic leader and good team man for us, especially over the few years I’ve been part of his career.
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“He thoroughly deserved that today and it was great respect from the English cricket team.”
While Clarke fell cheaply, Australia’s future leaders stood up in the dead rubber Ashes finale, relishing the responsibility.
Sent in to bat by Alastair Cook, the Aussie side reached 3-287 at stumps on day one of the fifth Test.
It was a day of dreary weather and dour batting at The Oval, led by stubborn knocks from Steve Smith and Warner, who scored 85.
The pugnacious opener batted like a man with great responsibility, demonstrating uncharacteristic restraint of his great power by not scoring a boundary until the 15th over.
“In the vice-captaincy role I won’t say I change my game but … you do feel a bit of added responsibility,” Warner said.
Smith will resume on 78, his captain-elect’s knock in poor light earning the praise of Warner.
It wasn’t the 26-year-old’s flashiest innings, but he did well to steer the side to stumps after a late rain delay.
“He came up to me (when Smith was) on 20 and said he felt like he had no rhythm, but that’s what happens here,” Warner said.
“You don’t ever really feel in.
“We have worked our backsides off to try and counter that and today I think we improved.
“The way he addressed the conditions and adapted to it was fantastic.”
Smith and Warner both showed the sort of grit that was so sorely lacking at Trent Bridge, where Australia meekly ceded the urn after being skittled for 60.
“The series is done but for us it is about winning this Test,” Warner said.
“It’s about improving and I feel our top order has improved.”
– Joe Barton & Rob Forsaith
