Clarke received a harsh response from the home fans when he came out to bat, which Australia won by 51 runs to secure the seven-match series by taking an unbeatable 4-1 lead. The 29-year-old went on to top score for Australia with 54 in a sign of a return to form and after the match said he was not bothered by the boos.
“Obviously you would like people to be cheering but I can understand why a few of them are booing,” said Clarke. “I haven’t performed as well as I would like so I don’t blame the public for being disappointed with my performances.
“It was nice to finally contribute and help the boys get a win – it’s a great feeling.”
Back in form
He hit ODI debutant Steve Finn for successive fours early in his innings to break the shackles of uncertainty. He has struggled in all forms of the game and stepped down from the Twenty20 captaincy because of his poor form.
He made just 193 runs at 21.44 in the Ashes Test series, and had scored 70 runs at 17.50 in the ODI series before Sunday. But his captaincy record in ODIs is strong, with 17 wins and just six defeats. Although he said he “wouldn’t dare” declare the slump was over, Clarke said he never doubted he would turn his form around.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2011.
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