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IF Australia is to have any hope of competing with England after yet another inept batting performance, Michael Clarke must move back to number five.
His uncomfortable dismissal for just one on the opening day of the first Test at the Gabba, fending a Stuart Broad short ball to short leg, has reinforced why Australia's only world class player is wasted batting any higher.
Enough of the macho argument that your best batsman should bat up the order, he should bat where he performs best.
When Clarke bats at four he is not Australia's best batsman, far from it.
He averaged under 25 in the position and it was under 22 until he scored 187 in the washed out third Test at Old Trafford on a flat pitch.
When Clarke bats at five he is superman. He averages 64 and has scored 20 of his 24 centuries there.
At four he has reached 50 just five times and he does it only once every seven or eight innings in that position.
Stuart Broad celebrates after his short ball forced Michael Clarke to fend a catch to Ian Bell at short leg. Source: Getty Images
At five he has reached 50 39 times, once every two or three innings.
Exposing Clarke to a newish ball he does not platy well is wasting Australia's most precious asset.
The same thing happened in the first innings of the opening Test during the last Ashes series when Clarke was forced to come in at 2-19 and was bowled by an absolute corker of a ball from Jimmy Anderson for 0.
What a waste. Better to sacrifice any other player to the unplayable ball than Clarke.
On the evidence of recent series no one else in the line-up can mount a convincing argument they should be in the team on consistent performances.
If it takes a major reshuffling of the batting order to get Clarke back in his rightful position then so be it.
Michael Clarke trudges off the field after being removed by a well-targeted short ball in what has become a familiar dismissal. Source: Getty Images
On the evidence of his time as captain it has been no Clarke, no Australia.
Tasmania's Alex Doolan is the best batsman in the country without a baggy green cap and given the continued poor showing of the national team it cannot be far away.
Doolan is a natural number three and is in the form of his life.
He could easily slot into that position for Australia given it has been so unproductive since Ricky Ponting began to fade late in his career, with Shane Watson moving to four.
This would leave Clarke at five and Steve Smith at six.
If George Bailey is forced out of the side after one Test so Clarke can be at his most productive then so be it.
Bailey and Australia may make any changes redundant with a spectacular second innings but history tells us that Tests are largely won and lost on first innings runs.
Private murmurings around Australian cricket suggest that Bailey "nicks for fun" and it certainly looked like it yesterday during his brief and unconvincing stay of three.
Whatever happens the status quo is not an option. Too many players have failed too often in the recent past to persist with mediocrity.
And without Clarke making a significant contribution Australia is regularly mediocre.
MICHAEL CLARKE BATTING
No. 4: 889 runs - 25 average - 1 century
No. 5: 5829 runs - 64 average - 20 centuries
Career: 7656 runs - 52 average - 24 centuries
SHOULD GEORGE BAILEY BE DROPPED AFTER ONLY ONE TEST TO ALLOW MICHAEL CLARKE TO BAT AT NUMBER FIVE? HAVE YOUR SAY BELOW.
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