Former captain of the Australian national team Michael Clarke, who is known as one of the greatest batsmen in Australian history, selects his India and Australia combined Test XI for this century. Clarke was known for his dynamic personality and leadership style.
The batter has scored around 8,000 runs in Test cricket, including 28 centuries. He retired from international cricket in 2015, after the Ashes series in England, leaving behind a significant legacy in Australian cricket.
As the two openers, the former cricketer picked Virender Sehwag and Matthew Hayden, who can provide unmatched dominance at the top of the order. Together, their contrasting yet complementary styles make them an ideal opening pair. In the middle order, Clarke picked Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, and Steve Smith. All of these players possess class, consistency, and match-winning ability. This middle order would form the backbone of any dream team with their experience, elegance, and dominance.
Moving on, he picked Adam Gilchrist as a wicketkeeper in Australia and Mahendra Singh Dhoni as a wicketkeeper in India. The players are recognized for their unparalleled contributions to the game as both glovemen and dynamic batsmen. Both players bring unique qualities to their teams, with Gilchrist’s aggression and Dhoni’s strategic genius ensuring their spots in Clarke’s all-time XI.
His bowling attack consists of Shane Warne, Ryan Harris, Jasprit Bumrah, and Glenn McGrath. It is a formidable combination of spin and pace capable of dismantling any batting lineup. Warne’s magical spin, Harris’s swing, Bumrah’s modern-day versatility, and McGrath’s precision makes this bowling attack diverse and lethal.
Lastly, he chooses Mitchell Johnson (in Australia) and Zaheer Khan (in India) as the 12th man of the team. This team is a perfect blend of legendary players from different eras, showcasing unparalleled skill, consistency, and impact, making it a dream team capable of excelling in any conditions against any opposition.
“Siraj should be fined” Former Australian cricketer Michael Clarke speaks on Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj
Former Australian batter Michael Clarke opens up, sounding surprised by the decision of the ICC not to fine Indian seamer Mohammed Siraj on his way of appealing. Clarke believes it is not legal to keep on appealing and not asking the umpire by turning towards them. The former cricketer criticized the fast bowler for his way of doing things.
He stated, “Siraj should be fined for keeping on appealing for LBWs and not asking the umpire. He hits the batter on the pads and just runs down like they’re out. I’m surprised the ICC hasn’t fined him because I remember when I was playing, you get fined every time. I’m more worried about that from Siraj than him and Travis Head. You’re OK to appeal for anything you want, but you’ve got to turn around and ask the umpire.”
