Michael Clarke made a startling revelation on Monday, suggesting that Australia’s captain, Pat Cummins, might be dropped before their ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 match against Sri Lanka. Michael Clarke, who had previously criticized the decision to exclude Alex Carey in the loss to South Africa, made this surprising claim during an appearance on Sky Sports Radio’s Big Sports Breakfast.

Michael Clarke said, “I heard last night that Pat Cummins is not going to be selected for this game.” He expressed concern about Australia’s recent decisions, stating, “We’ve dropped our wicketkeeper, who is one of the most crucial members of your squad. So he got one game and got dropped. Now there’s talk of dropping our captain.”

He questioned the team’s preparedness, asking, “So in two games our two most significant players in a squad on tour are going to be left out. Do you not know your best XI before you get to a World Cup? Michael Clarke reiterated his previous criticism of Australia’s preparation for the World Cup, labeling it as “horrible.”

“If Alex Carey is only given one game, he shouldn’t be in India. They shouldn’t have taken him. If Pat Cummins is going to get dropped and not captain the team, then you guys have selected the wrong captain,” he said.

He pointed out that the team hadn’t used the practice matches effectively, failed to make clear decisions about batting or bowling first, and had not given Cummins enough experience as captain. Cummins, in his comments on Sunday, acknowledged the need for Australia to start winning quickly to salvage their struggling World Cup campaign.

“I heard the players say our preparation was perfect. No, no — you had enough games of cricket but you didn’t use those games,” Michael Clarke Said

“You didn’t pick your best players. You didn’t work out are we going to bat first, or bowl first? You didn’t work out who’s playing where, you didn’t even pick your captain to let him captain some games of cricket. So come the World Cup semi-final [or] grand final he knows exactly what he’s doing under pressure. Pat Cummins doesn’t captain enough games. He’s in India able to play but they rested him for a game.” he added

“We’re obviously 0-2, so we’ve got to start winning and start winning quick. Every game now becomes almost like a final. You’ve got to win just about all of them,” said Pat Cummins ahead of Monday’s clash against Sri Lanka in Lucknow.

Michael Clarke Highlighted The Issues With Australia

Australia had suffered losses in their opening two matches, losing to India by six wickets and to South Africa by a significant margin of 134 runs, marking their heaviest defeat at a World Cup. Despite having batting stalwarts like David Warner and Steve Smith, they failed to post a total of 200 runs in both matches.

Michael Clarke highlighted the issues with Australia’s fielding, including crucial dropped catches and the urgent need for improvement in this department. He emphasized that the condition of the pitch would play a crucial role in determining Australia’s fate in the tournament.

“I need to see which pitch we’re playing on, If we’re playing on the same wicket as the other day I’m extremely nervous. We need a brand new wicket… we played the game two days ago against South Africa,” Michael Clarke said.

“There’s a pitch that looks pretty well prepared beside it. If we’re going to play on that pitch then I think we’ll definitely win.

“If we’re going to play on the used wicket that has already been played on that is going to be a really tough challenge for us because it will spin and it will be very two-paced and Sri Lanka and all subcontinents play better in those conditions. We have struggled big time in those conditions for a long time now.”

Australia currently occupies the last position in the 10-team table, trailing even the Netherlands. In their upcoming match, they face Sri Lanka, another winless side, who have displayed a strong ability to score runs in their previous matches.

Sri Lanka, despite their batting prowess, conceded a record 428 runs to South Africa and witnessed Pakistan’s most successful chase in World Cup history. Michael Clarke noted that the state of the pitch would be a significant factor, expressing nervousness about playing on a used wicket that could favor spin and be challenging for Australia.

He reminded that Australia had struggled in such conditions, especially against subcontinental teams like Sri Lanka. In the past, Australia had managed a comfortable 87-run win against Sri Lanka during the 2019 World Cup at The Oval. In conclusion, the Australian team faces significant challenges and uncertainties as they strive to turn their World Cup campaign around, with questions surrounding team selection and pitch conditions.

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