Joe Clarke can be back in English setup, reckons Rob Key

Rob Key, England’s new Managing Director of Men’s Cricket, has left the door open for Joe Clarke to play for England, citing there is no reason not to select the 25-year old.

After evidence emerged during the rape prosecution of his former Worcestershire teammate Alex Hepburn, Clarke was advised by the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) that he would not be considered for England selection in 2019.

During the trial, Clarke was identified as a member of a WhatsApp group that circulated derogatory comments that “demeaned women and trivialised rape and a pathetic sexist game to gather as many sexual experiences as possible,” according to the judge.

After the disclosures, Clarke was withdrawn from the England Lions squad, later fined and given a four-match suspension for bringing the game into disrepute. 

While Clarke’s roommate at the time of the crime, Hepburn, was found guilty of rape and sentenced to five years in jail.

Since the trial, the English selectors have not selected the budding young batter, but Key has kept the door open for him, saying, “I’ll have to look into where that is now and what has happened previously. But, to be honest, I don’t see why not.

“You can’t punish people indefinitely, in my opinion. I understand that we desire to do something at times and that the entire world will never forgive anyone for anything at this time, the recently appointed Managing Director opined. 

When addressing players vying for a slot in England’s middle order, Key mentioned Clarke by name. 

He stated, “I don’t think [the Test team] will be that different.”

“In 2015, they essentially replaced their whole white-ball lineup and adopted a new style of cricket. I believe we already have the players capable of doing it [better in Test cricket].

“‘He’s a good player, but how do you get him in?’ I’m thinking to myself. There is no shortage of talent. It’s just a question of how they’ll be able to maintain production after they arrive.”

Clarke was picked as one of England’s reserve players for the recent Test series against the West Indies. 

The 25-year old has a First-Class average of 37 with 18 centuries and 5,681 runs. With the amount of shortage English cricket has in terms of batting talent, the return of Joe Clark looks very likely.