Rikki Clarke talks to Andrew Miller on the eve of England’s first Test against Bangladesh

Andrew Miller20-Oct-2003

Rikki Clarke: ‘I do what I do, scoring runs and taking wickets’

Michael Vaughan says your bowling needs a bit of work.
I know my bowling is my weak area. Ideally I’d like to bowl a lot more at Surrey, but basically it’s a case of working with Troy Cooley when I get the opportunity and seeing how it goes. At Surrey, I’ll bowl well in one game, but then not bowl again in the next or for a while after that. It leads to inconsistency, and that’s what I lack at the moment. I need to sort out my technique, iron out that odd short ball and odd full ball, and hit more of a consistent area at a decent pace.Was your action modelled on that other famous Guildford and Surrey seam bowler?
Bickers? No, it wasn’t planned like that. But when I joined Surrey I did work a lot with him, and he said that that sort of action would help. I had a tendency to fall away at the crease, which was something of a glitch in my technique. Bickers’s advice was to find an action that just repeated itself naturally.How are you feeling with a Test debut seemingly round the corner?
I’d like to play, and most people reckon I will play. I’ve just got to wait and see who they go with. From a very early age I’ve wanted to play for England, and now I’ve got the chance, I want to grab it with both hands. It’s all come pretty quickly. In the summer before last I was playing for Guildford, got a few games for Surrey and at the end of it I was picked for the ICC Champions Trophy. And then, at the start of this summer, I went the other way. I started off with Surrey, got dropped, went back to Guildford for two or three games. And then two months later I was in the one-day series … and now this.Would your career benefit from a move from Surrey?
It’s definitely something I’ve thought about. I’ve played all my cricket for them, but if I was somewhere else, then I’d be higher up the order and have more responsibility. But for the moment I’m a Surrey player and I just need to work hard. But moving away is something I’ve thought about, to further my England career. Because at the moment my bowling is not good enough. I’ve mentioned it to Adam Hollioake and the coach, and towards the end of last season they did give me more responsibility, and it went well – I was taking wickets and building a good rhythm. I think that’s what I need, day-in-day-out bowling. Up till now I’ve been getting a game where I’d bowl 25 overs, then in the next I wouldn’t touch the ball. It leads to inconsistency.Last season you scored a hundred and were then dropped?
Yeah, I got 127, but then the overseas players came back and it was a case of “the youngster has to go”. I missed the next four or five games and went back to Guildford instead. But I know they rate me – I’ve signed a five-year contract, and I’ve got four years left … which is pretty tidy!How’s the one-day career going?
It’s been okay, so far. In my last game against South Africa at Edgbaston, I didn’t exactly set the world alight, but I batted well and played my natural game – basically the nerves had settled. The Pakistan series earlier in the summer didn’t go so well, though I’m not sure why. Maybe it was nerves, possibly some bad shot selection. Either way the key is to play naturally. I do what I do, scoring runs and taking wickets.How do you rate your prospects in Bangladesh?
I’ve been very nervous early on in my career, so I hope to relax over here. But I can’t escape the fact that my bowling is still weak. I want to do a job as a third seamer, go for two runs an over, keep it tight and take the odd wicket. That’s what I’m working at. I worked with Troy in the summer, and to be totally honest, my bowling really progressed in that time, only to fall back again at Surrey. Hopefully he’ll help take it on again.Is Freddie Flintoff something of a role model?
Yes, definitely. Freddie is taking on more responsibility with the ball as well as bat, and he’s getting wiser as a cricketer. He’s a definite role model. I’ve heard no word for Stewie [Alec Stewart], my predecessor at No. 6 – he’s too busy watching Chelsea. But 6 is my number. I’ve done it for Surrey and I’ve enjoyed it. It’s down to me to do well now, so that when Freddie comes back, I’ll be giving the selectors a bit of a headache. I just want to be in the side.Is your fielding natural or the product of hard work?
I don’t work that hard on my fielding, to be honest. Of course, it’s the same as everyone – we have our catches in the morning. But maybe I’ve just got big hands! I enjoy standing at slip, backward point, or wherever. It’s just a question of where the skipper wants me. Down at fine-leg is not really me – I like to be in the action and maybe take a run-out.How have you adjusted to the batting conditions overseas?
Batting-wise I’ve been working with Duncan Fletcher, and he said get a bit lower at the crease. In England I stand very tall, because the pitches are so true. Over here that’s not the case, you have to stay lower, especially when you’re quite tall like me. As the allrounder I’m not quite in the Flintoff mould – Freddie is more powerful than I am. He still plays the correct shots, but hits the ball so much harder. Given time at the crease I can be pretty destructive myself, but I like to have a look first and build an innings. Freddie, on the other hand, can just come in and destroy bowlers