Clarke invests in culture to repay Hussey's confidence

"I truly believe Joe Clarke is going to set this tournament alight," were David Hussey's words to cricket.com.au on the eve of KFC BBL|11.

With only 14 runs after the first four games, including two ducks, not too many people would have believed the Melbourne Stars coach.

But Clarke, who hails from Nottinghamshire in English county cricket, exploded to life and became the first batter to score five half-centuries in this year's competition with his 62 against the Brisbane Heat on Sunday night.

He's now fourth on the tournament's runs tally with 384 runs at 32 with an impressive strike rate of 148.26 in his 12 innings helping the resurgent Stars ultimately unfruitful push for a finals berth after a crippling COVID-19 outbreak midway through the season.

"That comment sums David Hussey up really, how's he's been," Clarke told cricket.com.au.

"He's shown me a lot of confidence, backs what I can do and my ability.

"When I did have that poor start, I knew that there was no lack of confidence from the staff and players because he's engraved it in everyone, and myself massively, that I was here to shine and put in match-winning performances and he backed me all the way.

"When I did start off poorly, he kept pumping my tyres and all the boys did the same."

The 25-year-old said he leaned on T20 World Cup winner Marcus Stoinis and Stars' psychologist David Reid after registering 1, 13, 0 and 0 in his first four innings.

In the Stars fifth match against the Hurricanes on Christmas Eve, Clarke returned to form with 52 that set-in motion his stellar run of 85, 52, 83 and 62 in the second half of the tournament.

"I backed my ability and backed that I'd come good but there comes that self-doubt, that voice in the head," he said.

"I ended up just speaking a few of the boys, I leant on some of the senior lads in the group, I spoke a lot with (Marcus) Stoinis just about T20 batting in general and the wickets at the MCG.

"I spoke with our psychologist, David Reid, and brought in a few different techniques from the mental side, a few different little activities that I've been doing pre-batting and pre-games with him that I've really enjoyed.

"I'm not saying it's the reason why I turned my form around, but I just fully invested myself into the group and into the culture."

Clarke said he had loved being in the Big Bash and would 100 per cent come back next year if his circumstances allow it.

The right-hander is yet to debut for England but after a standout BBL|11 campaign and 408 runs with a highest score of 136 during the English domestic T20 competition last year, he would certainly be on their radar after representing the England Lions numerous times in the past six years.

"They know what I can do, I've been in the England Lions setups for many years previously," Clarke said.

"All I can do is keep scoring runs, finish strong for the Melbourne Stars, I go to Pakistan from here to play in Pakistan Super League with Karachi, so it's just maintaining the run that I'm in and try and score as many runs as I can there.

"It's not a conversation that I've had but if that was an opportunity to come back again next year (to the Stars), yeah, definitely.

"I wish it was in a different period where potentially there'd be bigger crowds and less restrictions on COVID stuff so fingers crossed if I can return next year, it will be a little bit different.

"If the result doesn't go away and we don't find ourselves in a finals position then definitely, I'd be really hungry to come back and rectify that next year.

"I've become part of the group now and got friendly with a lot of the boys and it wouldn't necessarily take as long to get used to being in the team and playing at the MCG."

Stoinis said Clarke had been brilliant and had "fit in really well" with the Stars.

"We're already stirring him and everyone else that we're going to sign him for next year. He's been a great get for us, he's been great at the top of the order, he's been consistent, he's aggressive, I couldn't speak higher of him," Stoinis said after Clarke's 62 against the Heat.

Clarke's 83 against the Strikers at the MCG a few games earlier on January 10 was also remarkable given he'd just got out of seven days COVID isolation earlier that day.

"Definitely, the games are taking more out of the body than it usually does," the wicketkeeper-batter said.

"I had it in the English summer as well. I had to do 10 days of home quarantine. I played pretty quickly after that too.

"I had conversations with the physio at my club (Notts) … because there can be long COVID effects. (He said) 'if you're not feeling up to it, then don't rush back', but I had it in my head that I'm feeling fine, and I was lucky that we had a little bit of time between the next game to get my body back on track.

"I came out of isolation (on January 10) and had a busy evening and then we played the next day at 2pm and my body had given up on me a little bit and that was probably the first time that I really felt the effects of COVID."

Clarke said there was a feeling of disappointment among the Stars group as they felt like they hadn't played their best cricket this season.

"We've been really unlucky with all the COVID stuff and then the schedule after all of us having COVID with all the games we've had to play but we didn't perform on Adelaide, which probably cost us and made us rely on (other) results," he said.

"The last week after being in a hotel room for a week hasn't been ideal … I think there's been a few sore bodies and a lot of fatigue."

The Stars will play their final game of the season against the Hurricanes at the MCG tonight and ae unable to qualify for finals after Hobart beat the Renegades in a final over thriller last night.