MJ Clarke of Australia

Full Name:

Michael John Clarke

DoB:

Thursday, April 02, 1981

Birthplace:

Liverpool, NSW

Teams:

NSW

Test Debut:

v India at Bangalore, 2004

ODI Debut:

v England at Adelaide, 2003

Bats:

RH

Bowls:

SLA

Player Record:

link to stats

Young strokeplayer Michael Clarke is seen as the future of Australian middle-order batting after a meteoric start to his Test career.

On debut at Bangalore last October he came to the crease with Australia's innings in the balance at 149-4 and made a majestic 151 to win the man-of-the-match award - and a yellow motorbike.

His debut on home soil a month later was scarcely less spectacular, as he made 141 in the 1st Test against New Zealand, at Brisbane.

Both hundreds were full of youthful exuberance and daring and he was hailed as a prodigy. But he has struggled in Tests since, scoring only 138 runs in his eight innings prior to the Ashes, and is a little bit under pressure.

Clarke, at 24, is very much a flamboyant extrovert, who loves Ferraris, Britney Spears and his own blonde hair. He's the archetypal modern sportsman, whose dream is to meet his hero David Beckham.

Middle-order batsman Michael Clarke has incredible talent and has had a lot of early success in his Test career but he's feeling the heat right now.

There's a lot of expectation after you've had a great start in Test cricket and everyone has said great things about you. You desperately want to go on performing well because you are enjoying the environment and the lifestyle.

But with that success comes a lot of pressure to keep living up to your billing, and after a great start which saw him win the Allan Border medal, Clarke has had a lean run in Tests.

A lot of the expectation is self-imposed and if he starts badly in the Test series it could really get to him. An early score would lift him and we could see the best of his strokeplay.

When he goes he's very hard to stop and if it's a warm summer we could see some dynamite from him.