"This could end his career": Michael Clarke slams Australia selectors over McSweeney axing

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke took a shot at the national selectors after Nathan McSweeney was axed from the squad for the fourth Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against India. The Australian selection committee chaired by George Bailey has been under the microscope following the announcement of the 15-player squad on Friday.

McSweeney, who opened alongside Usman Khawaja in the three BGT Tests, made way for 19-year-old Sam Konstas for the Boxing Day affair next week in Melbourne. The 25-year-old didn't begin his time with Australia on an extraordinary note. In his debut series for the Baggy Greens, McSweeney gathered just 72 runs, averaging 14.40, with Jasprit Bumrah being his prime nemesis.

However, Clarke rooted for McSweeney by bringing out the lack of youth and high age factor that exists in the current batch. "Everyone apart from Nathan McSweeney is over 30 years of age and high 30s. What are we going to do? Continue to give a youngster two or three games, drop him, try someone else and keep these older players?" Clarke said on the Beyond23 cricket podcast, as quoted from The Sydney Morning Herald.

Clarke went on to visualise a scenario to further indicate the consequences of this move, especially for McSweeney. "What happens if Usman Khawaja in two Test matches retires? Does McSweeney then come back in, or does he go to the back of the queue? They (selectors) have got to come out and say: 'We made a mistake picking him.' This could end Nathan McSweeney's career. They picked him and he deserved the summer. No matter who they picked in that opening position, they had to give him [McSweeney] the series. I think the selectors have got this wrong," he remarked.

Clarke was quick to highlight the lack of runs not only just from McSweeney's bat but also from the pillars of the Australian team. Khawaja has barely had a sniff at runs, with only 63 in the series. Marnus Labuschagne's place in the team was up for debate before he fired up 64 in Adelaide. Steven Smith, another Australian stalwart who yearned for runs before his 101 at The Gabba.

"We've got Usman Khawaja who has just turned 38, Ussie has made no runs. He's a senior player. We've got Marnus Labuschagne, we were talking about before the series, before he made his 60, he has made no runs. Smithy [Steve Smith] batted like a genius [in Brisbane] and made a hard-fought hundred, but he's been under pressure," Clarke said.

"Mitchell Marsh is in the team as the all-rounder - he bowled two overs in the (Brisbane) Test match. Selecting a player and selecting your team is not about right here at this minute. There is a lot more that goes into it," he noted. (ANI)