Clarke replaces Martyn.

[Black_White]

HeraldSun 5/4/03

Clarke blasts way into Test big time
By PAUL MALONE in Brisbane
05apr03

EXPLOSIVE NSW strokeplayer Michael Clarke embarks on his first Test tour for Australia today with the full encouragement of skipper Steve Waugh to keep swinging.







National selectors yesterday opted for another injection of youth to a touring team disrupted by injury when Clarke, 22, replaced Damien Martyn, who withdrew because of a fractured right index finger.
Clarke said last night he would not muzzle his aggressive batting - which has prompted comparisons by Waugh to cult hero Doug Walters - if he makes his Test debut in the West Indies.

"There are times there when you ask yourselves questions about the way you play and Steve has said to me that I have to back myself and keep playing my way," said Clarke, who will leave for the West Indies this afternoon after being preferred by selectors to older candidates including Simon Katich and Andrew Symonds.

"Steve and Mark Waugh were fantastic to me when we played together for New South Wales during the season.

"Everyone is different and it's the way Michael Clarke plays, not anyone else. I'm rapt I'm so young and have achieved so much already. It means I have a lot longer to play.

"You don't know if you are ready until you have been given the opportunity.

"I grabbed the opportunity with the one-day international team (when he scored an unbeaten 39 against England in his only match for Australia in January)."

Clarke's inclusion lowers the average age of the Australian team, now including seven tourists under 30.

The others are uncapped paceman Ashley Noffke (25), Brett Lee (26), Jason Gillespie (27), Martin Love (2, vice-captain Ricky Ponting (2 and the week's other inclusion, Brad Williams (2.

With his blond rinse and earstud, the former Australian under-19 captain exudes the flamboyance of youth even without a bat in his hand.

"He is a young, enthusiastic player who will add some spark and versatility to the team," Australian chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said.

"The tour will be a tremendous learning experience for him. The West Indies is a tough tour to undertake first-up in your career with difficult conditions and surroundings, but the knowledge he will gain will build his grounding as a quality player."

Clarke's innings of 24 off 22 balls for Australia A in yesterday's Gabba one-day match against South Africa A showed why so many have championed his immediate inclusion and also why some believe him still too impetuous for Test cricket.

Clarke muscled three lofted boundaries and a six, only to lose his wicket when he lifted a drive to short cover off the first ball of South Africa A change bowler Justin Kemp.

The right-hander had holed out in the covers in the second innings of his dual failure in the Pura Cup final at the Gabba three weeks ago, when the match had been portrayed as a shootout between Clarke and Queenslander Love.

Just 30 minutes after his dismissal yesterday, Clarke was told by Hohns he would be given his first baggy green cap.

"He said I deserved the trip and I should make the most of it," said Clarke, who was the fourth-highest run-scorer in the Pura Cup last summer with 763 at a 47.68 average.

Martyn's withdrawal from the tour leaves Love and Darren Lehmann sure to play when the Test series against the Windies starts in Georgetown, Guyana on Friday.

[2 PIES IN CAIRNS]

Let me guess, Craig: In your expert opinion, this story transcends the sport itself. It should be front page news, not in the sports pages. The world needs to know about it so therefore it doesn't belong in THE CRICKET FORUM.
The other thought I had was that you'd made a mistake..silly me.

GO PIES

[Black_White]

GD 2PIC, thats all.
Anything can go into GD, look at the current list and you'll see I'm right.

-Craig

[Donny]

This subject is covered in 'Who Will Replace Marto' - posted on Friday - in the cricket forum.