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Michael Clarke came of age in 2006-07, showing he could marry a mature approach with a lifetime desire to entertain, and he has continued to take on more responsibility in preparation for succeeding Ricky Ponting as the country's captain. He is now the regular stand-in leader when Ponting rests and is a dependable batsman who registered three Test hundreds in 2008-09. There is no doubt over his importance to the team, but the next few years will determine how high he finishes in Australia's batting hierarchy.
At the start of the 2006-07 home summer Clarke was not meant to be in the Test squad; by the end of it he was a senior player who had regained the Ashes and won his first World Cup. A tattoo scrawled on his left arm the previous winter reminded him to seize the day and he strengthened his grip from the moment Shane Watson's torn hamstring allowed his re-entry. The flamboyant edges were usually curbed and the tinkered outlook brought him 389 Ashes runs at 77.80. A century at Adelaide secured his spot, a follow-up hundred in Perth confirmed his future, and by the end of the summer he was named vice-captain of the one-day side, although a hip problem ruined his immediate leadership aspirations. Recovering for the World Cup, he slotted in at No. 4 and finished tenth on the tournament's run-scoring list with 436 at 87.20, a haul enhanced by the limited batting time allowed by Hayden, Gilchrist and Ponting. In 2011 Clarke could be in charge of the push for a fourth consecutive trophy.
A full-time promotion to vice-captain came with Adam Gilchrist's retirement and Clarke was called into the top job in the West Indies for two limited-overs matches when Ponting succumbed to a wrist problem. He held the post for the one-day series against Bangladesh in Darwin, where he displayed forthright decision making in sending his friend Andrew Symonds home for going fishing. The appointment came after another assured Test campaign, which included a century against each of Sri Lanka, India and West Indies, and he also showed he was able to deal with a high-profile private life following his engagement to the model Lara Bingle (excusing one slip in January when he and Simon Katich had to be separated in the SCG dressing room).
Clarke already boasts a possibly unique claim to fame in Australian cricketing folklore: he was anointed as his country's next captain before he'd played a single Test. When he made his debut and a thrilling 151 against India at Bangalore his future looked even brighter than the yellow motorbike he received as the Man of the Match. The amazing ride continued with another stunning century on his home welcome at the Gabba, and his first Test season ended with the Allan Border Medal. Then came the fall.
Barely a year after his debut he was scuffing his feet around Hobart's Bellerive Oval while receiving a call from Trevor Hohns that ended his starburst at 20 Tests. A streak of 531 runs without a century through series against Pakistan, New Zealand, England, the World XI and West Indies led to his demotion and a desire "to tighten his technique", especially in the early stages against the swinging ball. An unbeaten 201 for New South Wales in the Pura Cup was a brave and swift response, but while he remained a one-day fixture, he had to wait until the low-key series against Bangladesh to reclaim his Test place. Three muted innings forced him and his supporters to wait for the Ashes.
Until his sacking in 2005 Clarke was a ravishing shotmaker with an unshakeable temperament. He did not so much take guard as take off. His arrival was typically the cue for a string of wristy, audacious flashes through the off side. All the while he radiated a pointy-elbowed elegance reminiscent of a young Greg Chappell or Mark Waugh, who, like Clarke, waited long and uncomplainingly for a Test opening and then marked the occasion with a century. Unlike Chappell and Waugh, who learned the ropes in domestic and county cricket, Clarke cut his teeth in Australia's one-day side. His impact in pyjamas was startling: he racked up 208 runs in four games before he was finally dismissed, and after 150 matches averaged in the low 40s at a strike-rate hovering in the high 70s. His bouncy fielding and searing run-outs, usually from square of the wicket, add to his value, while his left-arm tweakers cajole important breakthroughs, including six surprised Indians in the second innings of his fourth Test at Mumbai.
A cricket nut since he was in nappies, Clarke honed his technique against the bowling machine at his dad's indoor centre. He is meticulous about his hair, adores fast cars, is proudly patriotic, wearing an Australian flag on the back of his bat in his early internationals, and before he played a Test he signed a record-breaking A$1.25m deal with Dunlop-Slazenger. A future star soon transformed into a genuine one, but it was not until the 2006-07 Ashes that he proved he was ready.
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