Former Australian skipper Mark Taylor heaped praise on current captain Michael Clarke for putting the team's interest ahead of his personal ambition by deciding not to chase the world record individual score in the second cricket Test against India.
Published: Jan 05, 2012, 02:22 PM (IST)
Edited: Jan 05, 2012, 02:22 PM (IST)
Michael Clarke’s declaration drew comparisons with Mark Taylor who in 1998 had refused to go past Sir Don Bradman’s personal best of 334 © Getty Images
Sydney: Jan 5, 2012
Former Australian skipper Mark Taylor heaped praise on current captain Michael Clarke for putting the team’s interest ahead of his personal ambition by deciding not to chase the world record individual score in the second cricket Test against India.
“He’s a guy who loves the game of cricket and I don’t think people have quite understood that with Michael. He had an opportunity to make the world Test record today, there’s no doubt about that. He needed another 72 to break the record. He could’ve done that and still had two days to bowl India out and win this Test match.”
“He could’ve achieved both goals but what he wanted to say is ‘yes, I want to do well myself, every player does and that’s human nature, but I want to captain a side that’s going to win first’,” Taylor was quoted as saying by Australian Associated Press.
Clarke’s declaration at 4-659 with his own score 329 not out drew comparisons with Taylor, who declared in Pakistan in 1998 with his own score on 334 as he refused to go past Sir Donald Bradman’s personal best.
Taylor said Clarke showed how much he values his job as Australian skipper by declaring the first innings when he could have fancied his chances to go past Matthew Hayden’s record 380 or Brian Lara’s world mark of 400 not out.
“A lot of people focused on the negatives of Michael Clarke, but now he is the main man, I think we’re starting to see the real Michael Clarke,” he said. (PTI)
