Feed Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Fast bowler Stuart Clark expects to be over looked for Australia's tour of South Africa next month after being forced to delay a return to first class cricket due to a slower-than-expected recovery from an elbow injury. More... Body blow for Australia as Clark's tour all but over Jamie Pandaram and Neil Goffett January 29, 2009 - 2:19PM UPDATE Australian paceman Stuart Clark has been ruled out of next month's cricket tour of South Africa following a setback with his troublesome elbow. National selectors' chairman Andrew Hilditch said on Thursday his panel wasn't prepared to risk Clark's fitness following recent surgery with such a heavy playing schedule for the national team over the coming 12 months. Clark will not play in the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania from tomorrow as expected after experiencing discomfort following his comeback to grade cricket last weekend, the Herald can reveal. "Given the schedule of the Australian team over the next 12 months, including an Ashes series, the selection panel will be taking a conservative approach in regards to the management of Stuart's recovery and his return to cricket. "Stuart has outlined he hopes to play again for New South Wales at the end of February, a decision that will be made in close consultation with Australian and New South Wales medical staff. "Unfortunately due to this Stuart will not be considered for selection in the Test squad for South Africa which will be announced next week and leaves for South Africa on February 16.'' Selectors will use the Shield match as a guide to choosing the touring squad. Clark had surgery six weeks ago to remove bone spurs from his right elbow and returned to take four wickets for Sydney University on Sunday. However, he conceded afterwards that all would depend on how his arm reacted to the strain in coming days. His elbow has not pulled up well and therefore Burt Cockley was called up in his place for NSW. With Brett Lee already ruled out of the tour, Clark's absence will result in Australia taking one of their most inexperienced attacks overseas in recent memory. It's likely selectors will choose the same pace trio that won the third Test in Sydney earlier this month: Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Doug Bollinger. Clark was absent from that series - lost 2-1 - and much of the blame for Australia's defeat was directed at an inability to take 20 wickets. Clark was a weapon captain Ricky Ponting was sorely craving, given the paceman's magical debut in South Africa in 2006 when he captured 20 wickets at 15.85 to be named player of the series. Twenty-two-year-old Cockley confirmed his inclusion yesterday. "I'm absolutely over the moon because I really wanted to play this game. It was the one game I wanted to play in the whole season," he said. "To play for NSW in Newcastle is something very special to me and something that I can always look back on with very fond memories in the future." Meanwhile, batting prodigy Phillip Hughes faces the five most important days of his young career, with Australian selector Jamie Cox travelling more than 1600 kilometres to see whether the youngster is good enough for the Test team. Cox has revealed Hughes and fellow Blues opener Phil Jaques could both earn selection for the tour. While the two battle each other for the opener's spot vacated by Matthew Hayden, selectors may include them both in the travelling squad to be named early next week. "He [Hughes] is heading down the right path. Scoring a lot of runs is the one currency that is very hard to ignore, it is the one true pathway," Cox said. "There could well be positions for both [Hughes and Jaques]." Cox flew from Adelaide to Canberra last night for today's Prime Minister's XI match at Manuka Oval, and will later drive to Newcastle for the Shield clash. Hughes, 20, said he preferred not to think about the enormity of his next two games as he joined his PM's XI teammates in the national capital yesterday. "I don't want to look too far ahead, I like to keep it very simple," he said. Cox said Hughes had the chance to establish an international career. "[south Africa] is one of the toughest tours but it could set up a wonderful career and the same can be said for the Ashes later this year," he said. Hughes said he wasn't bothered by the hectic schedule, having to fly to Sydney after today's match and then catch a bus to Newcastle. "I love playing cricket," he said. It is believed the selectors will name a 14-man touring party. Link to comment
cochise Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Oz staring down the barrel in SA with an inexperienced and to be frank, rather toothless looking bowling attack. Link to comment
DomainK Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 I think after this match Australia will slip down from that no1 slot that they occupied for ages. SA will take over. Link to comment
EnterTheVoid Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 uh oh so many injuries / retirements / hassles poor aussies Link to comment
Anakin Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 At the end it really won't make a huge difference. Link to comment
Mr. Wicket Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Ouch. I just hope now that Bollinger gets a couple more chances. Link to comment
The Outsider Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Looks like Ponting is lining himself up for a third successive series defeat(excluding the mighty NZ at home). Will he survive it? Link to comment
Mr. Wicket Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Yes, because the idiot conservative selection panel doesn't have the cojones to sack him. Link to comment
f.b.m Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Good. I always disliked his dibbly dobly "probability" bowling. No effort, no intent, no brains, just putting it there and hoping that out of 10 stones, one hits the target. Give me Siddle, Bollinger, Tait or Ryan Harris any day. Link to comment
yoshi Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 clark is easily australia's best bowler- especially if you have a wicket keeper thats good enough to stand up to the wicket to him Link to comment
fineleg Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 Good. I always disliked his dibbly dobly "probability" bowling. No effort' date=' no intent, no brains, just putting it there and hoping that out of 10 stones, one hits the target. Give me Siddle, Bollinger, Tait or Ryan Harris any day.[/quote'] fbm, but S.Clark has bowled well for Aus - he's effective. McGrath wasnt flamboyant but he was highly effective. (not comparing a great McG to S.clark overall) Link to comment
Mr. Wicket Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 I wish India had some dibbly dobbly probability bowlers with no effort, intent or brains. And I wish they'd also average less than 23 runs per wicket in tests. Link to comment
f.b.m Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 fbm, but S.Clark has bowled well for Aus - he's effective. McGrath wasnt flamboyant but he was highly effective. (not comparing a great McG to S.clark overall) I'm not talking about effectiveness. I'm a viewer, not a guy who bets on teams winning nor an ACB official or something. I want to see bowlers try their socks off for something: Sweat it out for sheer pace, whack the ball as hard as possible into the ground to get seam movement and bounce, make violent movements of the wrist to get as much swing as possible, etc, etc. Either that or out-think the batsman with any and every skill that they have like Zaheer Khan. McGrath had a terrific bowling brain. His variations were subtle but he had them. Stuart Clark on the other hand, bowls with that horrible "slightly scrambled" seam position, hopes that one of them hits the seam, does enough and gets the edge. Its like a more horrible, dreary version of Jacob Oram (with an even more fugly , cringeworthy bowling action). And also, he's only effective in helpful conditions (barring one 5-fer against West Indies). I dont care if he averages 23 or that Oram averages 20 at home. I watch other teams purely for entertainment, not for looking at averages and win loss ratios. Which is why I'm happy that Clark's out of this tour. Link to comment
diegovegaz Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 that means we will be witnessing johnson, bollinger and siddle again Link to comment
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