Clarke's unorthodox captaincy unsettled his own players

"It was as though losing the toss in the second Test [against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi] unnerved Michael Clarke; he was flummoxed for the first time since he took over the Australian captaincy, writes Ian Chappell for News Corp Australia. "His rash of bowling changes and constant unorthodox moves in the field, suggested Australia's constant failure on dry dusty pitches had finally got to him. At the end of his tether, it was as if he decided; "Let's try something -- anything -- to try and manufacture a different result."

A bowler - pace or spin - needs to settle into a rhythm and work on a plan for a period of time. When fieldsmen are constantly being changed, the bowler feels the pressure to come up with a quick result and consequently he doesn't settle into a rhythm of thought or deed. If ever a pitch cried out for the metronomic relentlessness of Glenn McGrath, it was the bald, brown and lifeless strip in Abu Dhabi. When Clarke eventually produced a unique fielder placed behind the bowler's arm, it was the last roll of the dice before the white flag was hoisted. As an opposing batsman I would've been torn between the desire to annoy in return by asking the umpire to make Clarke provide a reason why it wasn't purely a ploy to distract the striker and the need to remain silent as Australia needlessly wasted a fielder.