The Travis Head debate is back. Many are debating whether he should open the batting or whether he should make a return to the middle order. But it seems Michael Clarke is clear where he wants Head to bat.
What Did Michael Clarke Say About Travis Head?
Clarke, appearing on the “Beyond 23 Cricket Podcast”, clarified his stance and kept it straightforward. Let the Australian batter open if that’s where he’s comfortable and firing.
“They’ve got him (Travis Head) opening, so leave him opening. I don’t know if that’s his best spot,” Clarke said. “I thought number five was his best spot, and he was dominating there.
“But he moved to opening. He’s done well there. If he wants to bat there, let him bat there.”
Head has also responded with his bat. After getting chopped in 4 consecutive innings, he smashed a century against Zimbabwe. Scoring his 8th ODI century. Even shattering the record for the fastest ODI century by an Australian against Zimbabwe.
“Look, I think people are saying he’s got a technical deficiency because he’s chopping the ball on,” Clarke added. “Every player does have technical deficiencies. There’s strengths, and there’s weaknesses.
“Some of us nick them, some of us get LBW, some of us get bowled. You got to get out in cricket, you get out. So I’m not too concerned. I think shot selection should be Travis Head’s number one focus.”
The message is clear. When a player is carving up bowling attacks and breaking records at the top of the order, tinkering for the sake of it is a fool’s errand.
“He’s obviously opening and playing that aggressive role to set the tone and get the run rate up,” Clarke concluded. “And the test cricket, well, he has done very well.
“He won the Allan Border Medal. So again, I think if it’s best for the team, that’s got to be the focus of the captain.”