The year was 1984. It was the first and the only time an Australian captain broke down in front of media and cried openly. That unfortunate man was Kim Hughes. This ghastly incident was coming from the back of a humiliating loss to West Indies at home and a campaign at the backrooms of Cricket Australia to remove him from captaincy amidst the allegations that he was 'too soft' to be both an Australian and an Australian captain. Kim bowed down at the pressure and resigned of Australian Cricket team captaincy at the same press conference. This was also the last time one saw Kim in a baggy green and Australian team jersey.
Today another Australian captain bowed down in almost the same fashion. His batting form deserted him. His team deserted him (on field) and his management, well it was never there, ever. Darren Lehmann is as tough an Australian as you find in his continent but Michael Clarke wasn't his type. He was more of a reminiscient of Ol' good Kim. He took every defeat graciously because his management and coach thought that the team bestowed upon him would do him favors but did they ever do so on any foreign tours, be it UAE facing Pak, India in India and now Englishmen in England. Michael Clarke didn't lose a battle from within, he lost a battle against the age old and much loved (but certainly the very demanding) perception of a 'tough Australian'. Heck, even in Australia, Victorians and South Australians are considered too soft to represent Australia in baggy green.
He was gentle, caring and a good block but why in hell he wept in Phil Hughes' passing ceremony? Almost all of Australia wept with him but Cricket Australia boardroom must have remembered that scene and used it to good effect while coercing Clarke in calling it quit following #Ashes2015 debacle. They really didn't need any other accusation, did they? 28 Centuries, test average of 49.60 with one more test to play and fourth highest run scorer behind Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting......convinced Sir???? Apparently not, you gotta to go PUP(py).
And so Clarke followed that much notorious sequential order that accounted for Kim, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting (the last three were pretty tough by Australian Standards but there could be some other reasons too, comeon guys) for their inefficiency and receeding 'toughness'. They were all greats but who cares?
Goodbye 'Pup', it was a pleasure seeing you in the middle..........#AThreeFingersRoyalSalute......#Ashes2015.
Today another Australian captain bowed down in almost the same fashion. His batting form deserted him. His team deserted him (on field) and his management, well it was never there, ever. Darren Lehmann is as tough an Australian as you find in his continent but Michael Clarke wasn't his type. He was more of a reminiscient of Ol' good Kim. He took every defeat graciously because his management and coach thought that the team bestowed upon him would do him favors but did they ever do so on any foreign tours, be it UAE facing Pak, India in India and now Englishmen in England. Michael Clarke didn't lose a battle from within, he lost a battle against the age old and much loved (but certainly the very demanding) perception of a 'tough Australian'. Heck, even in Australia, Victorians and South Australians are considered too soft to represent Australia in baggy green.
He was gentle, caring and a good block but why in hell he wept in Phil Hughes' passing ceremony? Almost all of Australia wept with him but Cricket Australia boardroom must have remembered that scene and used it to good effect while coercing Clarke in calling it quit following #Ashes2015 debacle. They really didn't need any other accusation, did they? 28 Centuries, test average of 49.60 with one more test to play and fourth highest run scorer behind Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting......convinced Sir???? Apparently not, you gotta to go PUP(py).
And so Clarke followed that much notorious sequential order that accounted for Kim, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting (the last three were pretty tough by Australian Standards but there could be some other reasons too, comeon guys) for their inefficiency and receeding 'toughness'. They were all greats but who cares?
Goodbye 'Pup', it was a pleasure seeing you in the middle..........#AThreeFingersRoyalSalute......#Ashes2015.
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