Captain Clarke's woeful run threatening his Twenty20 career

Published>Tue, Jul 06 10 01:37 PM

Melbpurne, Jul 6 (ANI): Australia Twenty20 skipper Michael Clarke's bad form in the shortest version of the game continues, as pressure grows to up his scoring rate after his soft dismissal in the team's 23-run loss in the opening match against Pakistan at Edgbaston.

Clarke scored five before mistiming a delivery from medium-pacer Abdul Razzaq to Shahid Afridi at cover in Birmingham.

It is now seven matches since he last reached 30, and has made 97 runs at 13.85 since the start of this year's World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Clarke admits that his conventional scoring methods and slow scoring rate by Twenty20's standards causes pressure on his teammates down the order.

"I think as a batsman you always want to score runs and as a bowler you always want to take wickets. Like in any form of the game if you are not scoring runs you need to find a way," he said.

Clarke said he was prepared to bat down the order if that helped the team get off to brighter starts. "I will try to do whatever the team needs to be honest, I will speak to the coach and the vice-captain Bundy (Cameron White) and see what their thoughts are."

"For me it is just batting where the team needs me. I just have to score more runs,' he added.

Clarke knows that regular failures in the 20-over format will eventually force the selectors to drop him from the squad.

Australia plays Pakistan in the second and final Twenty20 match in Birmingham on Wednesday. (ANI)

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