Michael Clarke is making a comeback? Wake me when it's over
Andrew Webster February 19, 2016 - 11:23AM
In the absence of a reality TV show in the South African jungle, Michael Clarke makes a stunning return to the public spotlight this weekend when he takes the field for Western Suburbs in club cricket.
Actually, did he ever leave it?
Comeback kid: Former Australian skipper Michael Clarke will play for Wests this weekend.
Thousands of fans are expected to converge on Pratten Park to watch the former Australian captain launch his comeback to the game of bat and ball.
Excuse me if I don't make it. There are more pressing issues at hand, like plaiting my hair.
Only six months ago, Clarke told us it was "the right time" to retire from cricket after Australia handed back the Ashes urn to England.
There's nothing wrong with changing your mind.
But the well-orchestrated public relations operation that has surrounded Clarke's return has been unfurled with military precision.
The story of Clarke's comeback broke in News Corp newspapers on January 30.
He talked about the Western Suburbs match being a possible springboard to future BBL, IPL or Sheffield Shield appearances. And he didn't rule out a bid to represent his country again.
The timing of it was curious.
Behind the scenes, a story was brewing about Clarke's time on the celebrity-stacked Sydney-to-Hobart supermaxi Perpetual Loyal, which was forced to turn around and head back to Sydney with a damaged hull.
The boat is owned by Clarke's celebrity accountant mate Anthony Bell.
Bon voyage: Michael Clarke farewells wife Kyly Clarke ahead of last year's Sydney to Hobart. Rumours soon began circulating concerning Clarke's performance aboard Perpetual Loyal.
Bon voyage: Michael Clarke farewells wife Kyly Clarke ahead of last year's Sydney to Hobart. Rumours soon began circulating concerning Clarke's performance aboard Perpetual Loyal. Photo: Getty Images
Then Puppy's comeback story broke and interest in Perpetual Loyal suddenly slipped away.
"There's BBL next summer, I'd love to be a part of that, IPL, county cricket," Clarke said. "There's possibly even Sheffield Shield cricket for NSW."
Then he added this: "All I know is, I'll never say never to anything. I'll start with Western Suburbs and we will see where it takes me. For now, my focus is definitely the shorter format of the game."
Then Clarke went on the campaign trail like he was Hillary Clinton, discussing his comeback across various media platforms, all the way up until a week ago when he was asked again about his future.
Suddenly, he was pouring cold water on all the speculation about what this comeback match might mean.
"A lot of things have been written and said and I take that as a compliment that people still think I can play BBL, county cricket, for NSW or whatever," he said.
In other words, "I would like to pour cold water on the speculation I started myself three weeks ago".
That, friends, is what you call "gibber".
So busy has Clarke been this week, PR dynamo Sally Burleigh who has a business partnership with Bell has been engaged to handle media inquiries. Burleigh did not return calls on Thursday.
To be honest, none of this surprises.
Following his retirement, Clarke stepped away from public life for about a nanosecond something quite different from previous Australian captains, who usually take some time out.
Many within the cricket fraternity wonder exactly how far Clarke's comeback might extend.
He wasn't a successful Twenty20 player, retiring from the captaincy before he was pushed.
In terms of next summer's BBL, the Thunder and Sixers won't touch him, nor will the Melbourne Stars. As we understand it, NSW's Sheffield Shield side is hardly falling over itself to welcome him back into the fold.
There's a feeling among former and current players that Clarke could only sit on the periphery for so long.
Relevancy to a sportsman is almost as addictive as how many likes they get on a single Instagram post.
Clarke's best mate Shane Warne has never been able to stop staring into the bright lights. Whatever he says on I'm A Celebrity
Get Me Out Of Here! has now become daily click bait.
Get me out of the South African jungle. In Clarke's case, get me out of a struggling Test side for which I'm making no runs. Just don't get me out of the spotlight, because I've been enjoying it for far too long.
Read more:
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket...n-its-over-20160218-gmxm2t.html#ixzz40f7dhC60
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