Cameron White wants Australians to support ODI captain Michael Clarke
Australian T20 captain Cameron White wants his countrymen to be patient with current ODI captain Michael Clarke, who is enduring a form slump and boos from local crowds during the on-going series against
traditional rivals England. Clarke is in charge of the hosts as regular captain Ricky Ponting recuperates from a finger injury that he sustained during the Ashes Test match at the WACA in Perth in December.
White added that the crowd reaction to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 was a touch disappointing as he had done a lot for the team and was not expecting the chants and boos that greeted his arrival at the crease at the Sydney Cricket
Ground during the sixth ODI. Clarke weathered the storm, as well as a strong bowling performance by the tourists led by Chris Woakes, to post his first score of 50 or more in the ODI season and his mere second in the international season.
“Michael is a very important player for the team and it's great to see him back in a bit of form,” said White. “I'd be very surprised if he got that sort of reaction again, let's hope not. It's his home crowd
and the series is won so hopefully the fans get behind him here.”
On the other hand, Clarke had claimed after the match (which http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 won) that he understood the reaction from the crowd and was willing to accept it given his recent lack of runs across all formats of
the game. He said that he does not want to blame the public and would rather settle the score with two big performances in the last two games against England to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the WACA.
“Obviously you'd like people to be cheering but I can understand why a few of them were booing,” Clarke said. “I haven't performed as well as I'd like, so I don't blame the public for being disappointed with
my performances.”
Clarke’s has been saved some embarrassment by his team’s impressive run in the ODI series. The hosts have already won the series by gaining a decisive 4-1 lead with the last two games still to be played.
The right-handed middle-order batsman has led the team astutely and got them out of some pressure situations in the field with some tactical decisions that luckily for him have gone in his favour.
He will be hoping for more of the same in the remaining games, besides signing the Australian summer off with a three-figure score. Clarke will be aiming to play the pivotal role with the bat as the hosts
look to rest some of the key members of the team for the last two fixtures.
All-rounder Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 has had a heavy workload in all formats this season and should be sidelined for the last assignments of a gruelling summer which has not always gone the Aussies’ way. The thrashing
they received in the Ashes will be etched in the memories of the players for a long time as they prepare themselves for their World Cup defence which starts later this month. One way for Clarke to redeem himself will be to score big runs in the most important
limited-overs tournament in the ICC calendar, an event which the Aussies have won a record four times.
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