Australian captain Michael Clarke is under extreme pressure to perform with the bat heading into the fourth Ashes Test on Thursday. In this week’s At The Bar, Michael ‘Speedy’ Stratton and Andrew Piva discuss whether Clarke’s time in charge of the national side is almost up.
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Andrew: Tell me what’s going to happen, Speedy. Is Michael Clarke going to save his Test career at Trent Bridge?
Speedy: I hope so. He needs some runs, though. I reckon I could get him out at the moment.
Andrew: You’d be no hope, Speedy. Underarm bowling has been banned since 1981. Remember?
Speedy: Hah! Keep talking, mate. One day I’ll get you in the nets and show you what Bodyline was all about.
Andrew: Only because you’re old enough to remember it. But in all seriousness, is Clarke’s career over?
Speedy: If he can’t get some runs in the next few Tests it might be. Look, he’s pretty much done all there is to do in the game. He’s got nothing left to prove. If he retires, he can relax, spend his money and spend time with his missus.
Andrew: And he’s earned the right to do that. I honestly believe – and I first said this last year – if Australia retains the Ashes in England, Clarke will call it quits.
Speedy: What did you think about the Brad Haddin situation? Should they have brought him back for the third Test?
Andrew: At the risk of sounding heartless, no. I know he stood down at Lord’s for personal reasons, but you need to pick your best 11 for each match. On what we’ve seen from Peter Nevill, he deserves to be in there in front of Haddin.
Speedy: What about our bowlers? What are we going to do about them?
Andrew: What’s wrong with them?
Speedy: What’s wrong? They can’t bloody bowl straight. All the Sydney papers reckoned they were going to go through England last Test, but it was the other way around.
Andrew: We’re missing Ryan Harris. Even if he wasn’t taking wickets, he was economical. You can’t say that about our current crop. Mitchell Starc is the one that confounds me. It’s a different format, I know, but I don’t understand how he can be so dominant in one-day cricket but struggle for consistency in the Test arena.
Speedy: Maybe he should wear his one-day uniform under his whites.
Andrew: I like your thinking. Trick the mind and the body will fall into line.
Speedy: Whatever works. Anyway, I’m looking forward to this Test. It's been a good series so far. Not one draw, and it’s barely rained.
Andrew: True. If the players decide the series and not the weather, you can’t ask for much more.
