Australian cricket witnessed one of its more extraordinary moments today when Australia's one-day captain, Michael Clarke, was booed by the Gabba crowd as he walked to the wicket.

Never - or not in this columnist's 40 years of watching the game - has an Australian captain copped such treatment from a home crowd. Not Bill Lawry, not Greg Chappell during his slump, not Tubby Taylor when he was in the doldrums, not even the largely unloved Graham Yallop during World Series.

This is how low Clarke's stocks have fallen - not just as a batsmen where he has endured a pitifully lean summer, but as a leader in the eyes of the country's cricket supporters.

Yes, we know those Queenslanders can be a tad - what's the word? reactionary - but it can't just be that pocket of boo-boys at the Gabba who feel such ambivalence towards the Sydneysider.

This has to be a worry for Cricket Australia. For Clarke is the heir apparent to Ricky Ponting as Test captain yet, as evidenced clearly today, he does not seem to inspire the affection that his predecessors did. Part of it stems from his tatts, and his sports cars, and glamour girlfriends - that might be put down to envy. But it's more than that. Australians don't like fancy pants mug lairs; they prefer their heroes with a bit more grunt and grit.

That might be an unfair perception given Clarke's western Sydney heritage, but it's a growing perception nonetheless.

Remember, the Australian Test captaincy is a job which former Prime Minister John Howard said was the most important post in Australian sport. People view it seriously.

The Fox Sports live commentary blog described the scene as Clarke appeared on the arena at 3.24pm to replace Brad Haddin in the middle.

1524: Michael Clarke walks to the crease ... and is greeted by a rather hostile Gabba crowd. He might be perilously out of touch, but he's the Australian cricket captain. Isn't it poor form to boo him?

Channel Nine's commentary team also noted the crowd reaction with similar dismay.

Clarke went some way towards mollifying the crowd with an entertaining 54 off 74 balls, as Australia made a competitive 249, and some of his strokes early in the innings were redolent of the youngster starting out in Test cricket.

But the innings will not be remembered for his knock, or Chris Woakes' six-wicket haul for England, but as the day that an Australian captain was booed by an Australian crowd.