Michael Clarke (cricketer)

Michael Clarke

Clarke in January 2009
Personal information
Full name	Michael John Clarke
Born	(1981-04-02) 2 April 1981 (age 35) Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Nickname	Pup, Clarkey
Height	178 cm (5 ft 10 in)
Batting style	Right-hand bat
Bowling style	Slow left-arm orthodox
Role	Batsman, Former Australian captain
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 389)	6 October 2004 v India
Last Test	20 August 2015 v England
ODI debut (cap 149)	19 January 2003 v England
Last ODI	29 March 2015 v New Zealand
ODI shirt no.	23
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2000–	New South Wales
2004	Hampshire
2011–2014	Sydney Thunder
2012–2013	Pune Warriors India
2015	Melbourne Stars
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI FC LA Matches 115 245 188 313 Runs scored 8,643 7,981 13,826 9,905 Batting average 49.10 44.58 47.02 42.51 100s/50s 28/27 8/58 45/48 9/73 Top score 329* 130 329* 130 Balls bowled 2,435 2,585 3,627 3,295 Wickets 31 57 42 84 Bowling average 38.19 37.64 44.90 32.01 5 wickets in innings 2 1 2 1 10 wickets in match 0 n/a 0 n/a Best bowling 6/9 5/35 6/9 5/35 Catches/stumpings 134/– 106/– 203/– 132/–
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 24 August 2015

Michael John Clarke (born 2 April 1981), is a former international cricketer and captain of Australia. He led Australia to their 5th Cricket World Cup triumph, when his team defeated New Zealand in the final of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 at the MCG. Under his captaincy, Australia whitewashed arch-rivals England 5-0 during the 2013–14 Ashes series down-under and also gained the No. 1 Test ranking from South Africa after a long span of 4 years and 9 months (from August 2009 to April 2014), when Australia defeated South Africa 2-1 in a 3 match Test series, during Australia's tour of South Africa in 2014. His ODI shirt number of 23 was passed on to him by Shane Warne after his international retirement. Nicknamed "Pup", he is a right-handed middle-order batsman, an occasional left-arm orthodox spin bowler and also a slip catcher. He represented New South Wales at a domestic level. In January 2011, Clarke stood down as captain of the Australian Twenty20 cricket team to concentrate on his Test and ODI performance.

On 22 November 2012, Clarke scored a double century at the Adelaide Oval, making him the only Test batsman to ever achieve four double centuries in a calendar year. He won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, thereby winning the Cricketer of the Year 2013 and also the Test Cricketer of the Year 2013. He led Australia to a 5–0 whitewash of England in the 2013–14 Ashes series for the first time since 2006–07 Ashes series. He was named as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2010 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. He was named Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for the year 2012 in 2013 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.