10 Interesting facts about Clint McKay

Clint McKay is highly regarded as a bowler with immense control and variety. Although he lacks pace, McKay is on the fringes of the Australian side simply due to his subtle variations. Despite having a reputation as a specialist bowler, questions have been raised regarding his fitness and bowling speed. However, in McKay has come good in the shorter version of the game as his slower ball in particular, has come in handy in stemming the flow of runs. That said, here are some interesting facts about Clint McKay.

1. Birth:

Clint McKay was born in Melbourne, Victoria on the 20^th of February 1983.

2. Early life:

Hailing from Melbourne, McKay has always been known to be a proud Victorian. His cricketing talents were noticed at an early age. He first represented Pascoe Vale Central Cricket Club in the North West Cricket Association (NWCA).

3. Early cricket career:

Clint McKay’s early career was filled with accolades and achievements. His time at Pascoe Vale saw him representing NWCA at the junior levels. He also represented NWCA in the U-20 Neil Wright Shield during the 2001–02  season. He was regarded as an all-rounder upon his arrival at the Essendon Cricket Club. He also smashed two centuries that reinforced the selector’s beliefs. He was awarded captaincy in the 2009-190 season.

4. Australia team call up:

McKay was called up to the Australian national side in November 2009. The reason for his selection was the plethora of injuries that had hit the Australian team. He was named in the squad as a specialist fast bowler for the 2009/10 tour of India.

5. ODI hat-trick:

McKay joined the elite club of ODI hat-trick takers on the 14^th of September 2013. He dismissed Kevin Pietersen, Joe Root and Jonathan Trott in consecutive balls at Cardiff. However, Australia lost the match.

6. Only Test:

McKay made his Test debut against the West Indies in December 2009. Once again, he was called-up to the squad courtesy of injuries to the first choice seamers. McKay however, failed to impress as he picked up just the one wicket in an Australian win. He was never picked for the Test side following the West Indies tour.

7. The batsman within:

Clint McKay and James Faulkner stitched a partnership of 57 against England on the 14^th of January 2014. With Australia reeling at 9/244, McKay provided wonderful support to James Faulkner who smashed the England bowling all over to ensure that the Aussies chased down the England total of 301.

8. An unusual liking towards Sri Lanka batsmen:

McKay has an unusual liking to Sri Lankan batsmen. Both his ODI 5 wicket hauls came against Sri Lanka at Brisbane and Adelaide respectively. He picked up 5/33 and 5/28 in each venue.

9. First-class career:

In 59 first-class matches for Victoria, McKay has amassed 203 wickets. He has also scored 5 fifties, thus proving his ability with the bat as well.

10. Dip in form in recent times:

McKay was named in the Australian squad in the 2013 tour of India. However, his form suffered badly as he began to leak runs against the star-studded Indian batting lineup. Despite putting up solid performances against England, McKay was dropped in 2015.