Michael Clarke received his birthday gift in advance as he succeeds Ricky Ponting as the Australian captain in Tests and ODIs.
michael clarke shane watson captain
After three years deputising under Ponting, Clarke has managed to live up to the expectations thrust upon him as a young Australian cricketer of one day captaining the team.
In the same breath, it has to be mentioned that perhaps Clarke will have to work on his thirtieth birthday present harder than he perhaps ever would have in his life. That is because while Clarke was considered the natural successor, by the time Ponting has relinquished the post, Australian cricket has suffered a low with the public who have lost faith in Clarke as a future leader and have instead put their trust in Shane Watson for valid reasons.
Shane Watson has been Australia's go to man, leading from the front in his role as the opener and scoring prolifically for Australia's cause. His role as an all rounder makes him indispensable. And under the present circumstances where Australia's contributions have been restricted to a few, Watson has been shining like he never has in his career early on.
With his performances soaring and Clarke struggling to make quite the same impact, there was a lot of talk about the next Australian captain after Ponting lost the Ashes for the third time as captain earlier in the year. However, the general opinion had made a mass exodus away from Clarke, combined with Clarke's image in the public eye also suffering as a result of his personal relationships including the very public break up with model Lara Bingle.
The Bingle-Clarke break up was hailed amongst former Australian cricketers as the best thing to happen to Clarke because he could thrive in a low profile relationship and focus on his future as Australian captain. The selectors and Cricket Australia certainly think Clarke fits the bill, which won him the nod ahead of Shane Watson who will now play the role of the vice captain under Clarke in Test and ODIs and under Cameron White in the Twenty20 format.
Clarke knows that not only his team but also, he himself will have a lot to prove to win over the passionate Australian fans, after their World Cup hold was broken by India in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 quarterfinals.
Related Stories
Shane Watson Shows Interest in Pipping Michael Clarke to the Australian Captain's Spot
From being Australia's worrisome cricketer to be their lone man standing, Shane Watson has come a long way. And it appears he may not be done yet and Michael Clarke should be worried. It has been a rough and strange summer for the Australian...
Shane Watson Defends Michael Clarke as Australian Fans Give Him Rap over Runs
Even as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 looms large with Australian cricket team selections around the corner, the Australian fans are already voicing their concerns in some strong ways, even to stun the visitors, even though Shane Watson helped them.
Michael Clarke Gets off to Winning Start as Australian Captain & Batsman v Bangladesh
The change in the Australian captaincy has given Michael Clarke the opportunity to shun some of the skepticism surrounding his succession by scoring a century to mark the change of guard in the first ODI against Bangladesh in Mirpur. Ricky Ponting..
Coach, Captain Michael Clarke to Have Greater Say on Australian Selection Panel
Australian cricket is certainly headed in a different direction as the selectors stage exit while the Australian captain and coach can now look forward to new powers. Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, and Greg Chappell, selector and national ta
Virat Kohli And Co. Enjoy Bike Ride before Formula One Racing ( See Pics)
Is it not known that the Indian cricketers can also love demons of speed? Even as some of the Indian cricket team will fly to Noida for the first Formula One Indian Grand Prix, they did enjoy bike rides, although not on the circuit, with the keys firmly w
