Potpourri!

After the retirement of Gilly, Pup has been appointed as vice captain of the Australian Cricket team. Pup Clarke's meteoric rise has raised many eyebrows, mainly because he was not even a certainty in the Australian test set up during 2006 Ashes. He played in the starting XI only because of hamstring injury to Shane Watson. He rose to the occasion and slammed two centuries to cement his place in the team.

His merits as a test player first came into light when he bludgeoned his way to 151 on his test debut against India at Bangalore. The man of the match performance showcased his gifts, and he enjoyed a purple patch which spanned around 20 test matches. Then after a string of poor outings, pup was sidelined. He subsequently clawed his way back to the national set up through sheer determination and he is now a vital cog in the Aussie batting line up. His part time bowling and athletic fielding adds an extra dimension to his game.

He possess a shrewd cricketing brain which was instrumental for his promotion. He briefly showcased his leadership qualities when he led Australia to victories in two twenty 20 matches against Zealand and India. As he continues to mature and blossom, his fans can harbor hope that he will one day replace punter and lead Australia to greater heights.