CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - MARCH 02: Michael Clarke of Australia during day 2 of the 3rd Test match between South Africa and Australia at Sahara Park Newlands on March 02, 2014 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Michael Clarke had an outstanding career for Australia. Known as 'Pup' because of his boyish looks, diamond ear piercing, and bleach blonde hair, it didn't take long for the boy from Liverpool, New South Wales, to make his mark.
In a cricketing career spanning 12 years from 2003 to 2015, Clarke went on to play 115 tests scoring 8643 runs (fourth all-time amongst Australian batsmen) with an average of 49.10, including 28 centuries and 27 half-centuries.
In 244 One Day Internationals, he scored 7981 runs at a brilliant average of 44.58. Although he had numerous scrutiny on him during stages of his career, Clarke rose above it all to become one of Australia's classiest batsmen.
From an incredible 2012 to leading Australia to Ashes glory, Clarke's achievements speak for themselves.
Here are five memorable moments during his career.
A fresh-faced Michael Clarke would burst onto the scene with a blaze of glory. After an excellent white-ball series in India a year earlier in which he was awarded Man of the Match in the Kolkata final, the then-23-year-old would make his test debut.
After Australia got off to an excellent start, India fought back into the contest. Enter Michael Clarke with the score at 4/149.
His first delivery he nervously came forward to defend a bouncing Anil Kumble spinner. Despite the early hiccup, he began to get comfortable even on a dusty Indian pitch. Showing all the shots, Clarke would take the challenge right up to both Kumble and Harbhajan Singh as he went down the ground combining with aggressive drives and lofts through the offside and onside.
Emphatically, he would bring up his maiden test century with a clip to the onside with his knock coming off 170 deliveries. Clarke's 151 consisting of 18 boundaries and four sixes would be crucial as Australia made 474, going on to win the test by 217 runs.
With this incredible achievement, Clarke became the 17th Australian player to achieve the feat. In an exemplary debut series, Clarke finished as the second-leading run-scorer with 400 runs at an average of 57.14 only behind teammate Damien Martyn.
Coming off a disappointing Boxing Day Test, Clarke was looking for redemption. One which no one saw coming. Striding to the crease with Australia in a spot of bother at 3/38 in response to India's 191, he began the ascent for everyone to witness.
Clarke got going with a lovely backfoot shot through the covers from Ishant Sharma for a boundary. With every passing run Clarke's confidence grew. With an array of strokes from blazing cover drives, square drives, delicate shots off the pads, pull shots and lofts down the ground it became the Michael Clarke show.
Even with India ploying different fielding tactics to negate the irresistible Clarke, it had no effect. As long-time cricket broadcaster Mark Nicholas perfectly described when the Australian reached his double-century, "the Sydney Cricket Ground becomes Michael Clarke's kingdom for the day."
Clarke ultimately went on to score 329 not out from 468 deliveries with his innings consisting of 39 fours and one six. He would share incredible partnerships with Ricky Ponting, with the pair putting on 288 for the fourth wicket, and Michael Hussey - 334 unbeaten.
Clarke became the fifth Australian at the time to score a triple-century joining the legendary Sir Donald Bradman, Bob Cowper, Bob Simpson, Mark Taylor and Matthew Hayden. More recently David Warner joined the exclusive 300 club with his 335 not out against Pakistan at the Adelaide Oval in 2019.
On that glorious day, Clarke registered the highest-ever test score at the SCG surpassing Reggie Foster (287), Brian Lara (277), Walter Hammond (251), Doug Walters (241), and Sachin Tendulkar (241 not out). His record at the venue still stands to this day.
Clarke's chanceless innings would propel him to greater heights in 2012, surpassing Ricky Ponting for the most number of runs in a calendar year by an Australian Captain (1595) with a whopping average of 106.33.
An incredible year and one which will go down in the test history books.
The Sydney Test between Australia and India lives on as one of the most controversial in the history of test cricket. From Andrew Symonds edging an Ishant Sharma delivery only for Umpire Steve Bucknor to remain unmoved, to Harbhajan Singh's racial comments to Symonds, the test had it all.
With the match heading deep into the fifth and final day and a draw more imminent by the minute, Australia needed a hero. That man would be Michael Clarke.
Still needing three wickets in less than 15 minutes, Clarke began his wizardry. His first ball would be a ripper hitting the rough patch and then all of a sudden generating extra bounce surprising Singh who could only watch the ball catch his glove straight to Michael Hussey at first slip.
Now with Australia hunting hard to prize the remaining two wickets, Clarke would strike again. His second delivery to new batsman RP Singh was the identical speed to the previous ball, only this time it was straighter. Failing to pick up the line and length, Singh would play all around the delivery as Clarke and the whole team appealed in unison, Umpire Mark Benson raised his finger.
Clarke now on a hat-trick, and the contest all of a sudden had swung in Australia's direction. With the crowd fully behind the action, Clarke's next two deliveries would be negated by Ishant Sharma.
But not the fifth ball.
After mixing different varieties with his first four deliveries, Clarke this time would throw it a little wider. And it worked.
Looking to defend the ball on the offside, Sharma could only watch as the ball ripped through the outside edge straight into Hussey's waiting hands. A masterstroke ploy by skipper Ricky Ponting, coinciding with haunting nightmares for Indian supporters after Clarke's 6/9 four years earlier.
It's not Shane Warne. It's Michael Clarke.
Already having an exceptional debut series, the youngster would be called upon by captain Ricky Ponting to generate wickets. Sure enough, he did. One in which the Indians didn't think was going to happen.
The final test would tailor towards the bowlers, in particular the spinners. With India beginning to navigate their way back into the test behind the platform set by VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar, Australia were in desperate need of scalps.
Clarke began the rot, first with a ripping ball outside off-stump to dismiss India's wall Rahul Dravid. If his maiden test wicket wasn't enough, he was back to rip through the Indian middle and lower order.
Within 10.2 overs, he had bamboozled the Indians as it lost its final six wickets for only 23 runs. More remarkably he took all six wickets in 6.2 overs. The splendid spell puts him in company with other Australian part-time bowlers including Allan Border (11 wickets altogether v West Indies SCG 1989), and Michael Bevan (10 wickets altogether v West Indies, Adelaide 1997).
After losing the Ashes in England in August, Australia began their pursuit for redemption less than three months later.
And it would be sweet. Everything in the series went to plan for Michael Clarke as he and his men blew England away with sheer conviction. Clarke himself had an excellent series scoring 363 runs, including two centuries one of which was a knock of 148 in the second test in Adelaide.
His innings would steady the ship after the English fought back close to tea on the opening day. It would break England's resurgence as Australia were never headed.
Clarke became only the third Australian captain to lead the side to an Ashes sweep after Ricky Ponting (2006/2007) and Warwick Armstrong (1920/1921).