Oracle of Delphi
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Craig HillAshes hero Clark on the outer
February 13th 2007 09:42
Stuart Clark may well be steaming with indignation at the moment but selectors made the right decision in leaving him out of the World Cup squad for the Caribbean. Throughout the home tri series Clark produced solid but unspectacular performances. Tait was offered two chances and produced one good performance and one bad performance.
Good performances in test cricket haven’t always guaranteed a spot in the national one day side, ask Michael Slater or Steve Waugh or even Stuart MacGill. Clark’s ten wickets in the recently completed 4 day game against Western Australia may have created headlines but a green, bouncy WACA pitch is a world away from players like Oram, Lara and Inzamam on flat tracks in the West Indies.
Clark leaked over five runs an over during his appearances in this summer’s tri series. In his defence he was often asked to bowl during the second group of power plays with an older ball or indeed in the final overs where bowlers do tend to go for more runs. It is Clark’s strength in the longer form of the game that perhaps proved his downfall at one day level for this tournament. He was too predictable and against top class batting on placid surfaces was seen to provide too much of the same. Johnson, Tait, Bracken and Lee all offer variation, pace or swing or a combination of all three and it was unlikely that McGrath was going to make way.
The selectors have made a bold but correct call in leaving Clark out for the World Cup but he can rest assured that in the event of a major injury to one of the five pace bowlers he will be the first call up.
Good performances in test cricket haven’t always guaranteed a spot in the national one day side, ask Michael Slater or Steve Waugh or even Stuart MacGill. Clark’s ten wickets in the recently completed 4 day game against Western Australia may have created headlines but a green, bouncy WACA pitch is a world away from players like Oram, Lara and Inzamam on flat tracks in the West Indies.
Clark leaked over five runs an over during his appearances in this summer’s tri series. In his defence he was often asked to bowl during the second group of power plays with an older ball or indeed in the final overs where bowlers do tend to go for more runs. It is Clark’s strength in the longer form of the game that perhaps proved his downfall at one day level for this tournament. He was too predictable and against top class batting on placid surfaces was seen to provide too much of the same. Johnson, Tait, Bracken and Lee all offer variation, pace or swing or a combination of all three and it was unlikely that McGrath was going to make way.
The selectors have made a bold but correct call in leaving Clark out for the World Cup but he can rest assured that in the event of a major injury to one of the five pace bowlers he will be the first call up.
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