Why is clark called pup

Cricket May 26, facebook. Cricket Jan 23, facebook. We want Australia to regain No. Cricket Jan 12, facebook. Banter between Zaheer and Haddin good for cricket: Clarke.

Cricket Jan 06, facebook. We have always put the team first: Clarke. Cricket Jan 02, facebook. We have a plan for every Indian batsman: Clarke.

Cricket Dec 29, facebook. Clarke credits bowlers and tail-enders for win. Michael John Clarke Profile. Michael Clarke, also fondly known as 'Pup' started out fairly early in cricket, making his debut for New South Wales at the tender age of Claiming the second-best average in the consequent South African tour, he became a hot topic for discussion in cricketing circles.

He responded to the call with an unbeaten 39 helping Australia beat England by four wickets. Clarke displayed exemplary technique and seemed to enjoy himself on the big stage, which was uncharacteristic of someone who was barely finding his feet in international cricket. With consistent performances in ODIs, he finally earned his Test call-up in an away series to India in But he relished the opportunity, scoring a brilliant on debut to earn the Man of the Match award.

He played a crucial role with both bat and ball and helped Australia achieve a series win on Indian soil in over 30 years. In recognition of his performance in the calendar year, he was awarded the Allan Border Medal in However, after that dream start, Clarke suffered a dip in form, especially in the Ashes. Clarke though was a tough nut and would not be broken down so easily.

He piled up runs in the domestic circuit and in ODIs which resulted in him being recalled for the tour of South Africa. In the Ashes, Clarke scored tons in the second and third Tests which cemented his place in the Test team. He enjoyed an excellent World Cup in as Australia retained the crown as the best in the world.

His ODI retirement was timed perfectly as he bowed out after the victorious campaign while in Tests, it came at the end of an Ashes series defeat. When a teammate who was also extremely close to him, passed away, Clarke took it upon him to control things despite himself breaking down emotionally. It was as a blonde-haired free wheeling strokemaker that Clarke first stormed the international arena in the ODI format in early The prodigious talent wasn't hard to spot, he had all the shots in the book and also great footwork against the spinners which made him a compelling package to have in the side.

The early ODI success translated into a Test cap in and Clarke started the longest format pretty much the way he had in the overs one. Ironically, for a man who had come into the team for his adventurous brand of strokeplay, it was in Tests that Clarke established himself in a big way although he ended up with really good numbers in ODIs as well.

He did have some lean patches though, particularly in when Australia lost the Ashes in England and then in , again during a phase when the urn was lost, this time at home.

These times apart, Clarke made truckload of runs and seemingly loved the challenge which came with captaincy in late Without doubt, was Clarke's best year in Tests by some distance. He notched up two triple tons and as many double tons in the year with breathtaking ease. His fabulous run scoring inspired the Australian side that was rebuilding post the retirements of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey.

Needless to say, he was the fulcrum of the batting and the pressure just seemed to make him play better. Although the initial years of his captaincy didn't see any great success, eventually the Ashes whitewash at home came during , which was sweet revenge for the defeat in England that had happened barely six months earlier.

What pleased him more was that the win was a collective effort with quite a lot of matchwinners like Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Brad Haddin, Steve Smith etc to name a few. Clarke also got some runs but he didn't have to shoulder the burden on his own which was a relief to him.

The Ashes win was followed by a tough series win in South Africa which propelled Australia to the top of the rankings. Clarke's proactive captaincy was immensely lauded in Australia's Test success but his ODI career was clearly limping along due to the recurring back injuries that he was encountering.

His preference for Tests meant that he would often take breaks during the ODI legs of a series that was captained by George Bailey. However, Clarke did have a hope of finishing his over career with a World Cup and with the edition to be held at home, he worked hard to make the tournament as the captain of the side. It won't be wrong to say that he might not have made the cut if he wasn't the captain of the side.

Reason being, Australia's limited-overs side were brimming with players who were capable of creating a far bigger impact than Clarke whose white-ball game had declined a bit despite still being resourceful. His unsung contributions over the years meant that he did get to lead a formidable side that eventually sealed the title at the MCG, thereby giving a joyous farewell to their skipper from the format.

Injuries meant that Clarke couldn't quite prolong his Test career as he would have liked. Also, an Ashes defeat does have consequences and although it was only a defeat to England in their den in , he had decided to call it quits as soon as the series was lost.

The emergence of Steven Smith, both as a prolific run getter as well as potential leader might have been another factor that influenced Clarke's thinking. Smith had led the side briefly during the home series against India in his skipper's absence.

Clarke was also emotionally drained, with the Phil Hughes demise happening just before that series and Australia responded by dedicating the World Cup title to their late teamman. Clarke was at the forefront of handling the issue, both as captain as well as family friend to the Hughes family. It was an act that earned a lot of respect from various quarters of the globe. Perhaps the emotional turmoil and more importantly, injuries played a part in Clarke exiting from international cricket.

Predominantly a batsman who loved to thrill the crowd with his shot making, Clarke's bowling was more than useful as he proved on the rank turners of India once with a 6-fer in Mumbai. He had the ability to get enough turn if the surface assisted the spinners and was fairly accurate as well. As his career progressed, back injuries hampered his bowling to some extent but couldn't stop his fielding heroics. Like many Australians, he was also an exceptional fielder who could be stationed anywhere on the park.

He was agile, acrobatic and had an extremely powerful arm. It's this wholesome package which impressed many during his early days and eventually, Clarke made batting his only real contribution to a game due to the physical vulnerabilities that he had developed over the years.

Perhaps as a captain, he was a reluctant bowler too - something that has happened a lot with many players. Clarke loved to take the game forward as a captain, especially in Tests where he made plenty of eyebrow-raising declarations to force a result.

Once, he even declared on the first day of a Test in India with hardly a threatening total on the board, just to get a few overs late in the day against the opponents.