From Pup to Pedigree

I must admit I am a bit of a sucker for those stories of childhood idols being plastered all over bedroom walls.

We all did it. I distinctly remember my bedroom being decorated with action shots of one Michael Roach. Never heard of him have you?

He was an Australian Rules superstar who was a high-flying, goal-kicking ace for the Richmond Tigers in the Australian Football League. You know….. that sport where the shorts are always two sizes too small and those sleeveless jerseys are skintight! He was my idol and Aussie Rules was always my first love. I do remember adding a couple of Ian Chappell photos over the years as my allegiance to cricket developed.

The well-chronicled stories of Graeme Smith and his goals scribbled on the fridge at an early age tickled my fancy. The latest snippet to get the scribes busy evolves around someone who has got everyone waxing lyrical. Australian Test debutant Michael Clarke has revealed that Ricky Ponting held pride of place in his private sanctuary.

How ironic it is that Ponting’s injured digit gave Clarke the gap. A broken thumb kept the Australian skipper out of the line-up for the first two Tests in India and after much consultation, the selectors and stand-in skipper Adam Gilchrist went for gut-feel and selected the 23 year old to earn his ‘baggy green’.

I was commentating when Michael notched his first One Day International century in Zimbabwe recently and although it was against our northerly neighbours, I could tell it was the start of something significant. His demeanour in general is one of maturity, an essential ingredient for success. He appears to be a quiet achiever who is in my mind destined for greatness.

When donning his cricket kit he studiously and methodically goes about his work in an unflustered manner. Obviously I am not the only one to identify this talent. His bat manufacturer offered him an equipment contract worth five and a half million rand over the next three years in April this year. 151 runs on debut in India has justified that boldness. You will see plenty of highlights of this kid over the next few years….. and I am not just talking about his hairstyle!

Perhaps the most astounding aspect of Clarke’s feat is that he is only the fourth batsman since “Boof” Lehmann in 1998 to be given the opportunity to break into the powerful Australian line-up.

Michael Clarke’s nickname is “Pup” ……what is it they say about giving a dog a bone?!!