OTD | Australian fast bowler Clint McKay was born today in 1983

Former Australian fast bowler Clint McKay is celebrating his 41st birthday today. McKay was an important player for the Australian team in the early 2010s, especially in ODI cricket. He was known as a consistent bowler who bowled with control and when needed he could also produce variety in his deliveries. 

Clint McKay represented Australia in all formats of the game but he was particularly effective in the 50-over format. The right-arm fast bowler made his debut in international cricket in November 2009 when he played his first One-Day international against India at Hyderabad. Next month he also played his maiden Test match, against West Indies at Perth. However, this was the only Test match that he played in his international career. McKay also represented Australia in T20 cricket and his T20I career started in 2010 when he made his debut against Sri Lanka. 

A short but impactful career

Clint McKay’s international career was not conventionally long but it was certainly an impactful one. His exploits in ODI cricket were remarkable. McKay played 59 One-Day internationals for Australia where he picked up 97 wickets. He had an impressive average of 24.37 throughout his ODI career. The fast-bowler also took a couple of 5-wicket hauls in the 50-over format. However, he could not contribute a lot to the Australian team when it comes to Test and T20 cricket. The fast bowler played only one Test match and 6 T20 internationals for the Kangaroos. 

McKay was an effective option for the Australian team but due to an injury, he could not find his place in the squad for the 2011 ODI World Cup. It took a long time for him to recover from the injury but when he returned, he made sure that he compensated for his absence. He was also recognized as Australia’s ODI cricket player of the year in 2013. 2014 saw him participate in his final Australia international match.