Clarke bids for perfect send-off
Victory in the World Cup final tomorrow is looming as the perfect way for Michael Clarke to farewell one-day cricket to focus on this year’s Ashes campaign and the rest of his Test career.
A bristling Clarke provided a spirited defence of his value to the one-day team after the big win over India in the semifinal at the SCG on Thursday steered Australia into their seventh World Cup final.
An Australian win at the MCG tomorrow would be their fifth, while the match before a sell-out crowd will be New Zealand’s maiden final appearance.
Clarke contributed 10 against India before falling to a tame pull to maintain a run over the past two injury-plagued years that has seen him average above 29 just once in eight individual series.
But his forthright defence of his value in one-day cricket did little but emphasise the growing speculation about his future in a format that now places a premium on power and athleticism.
“I think I’m doing all right,” Clarke said. “I think my record is pretty good up against anybody in the world. I think my record holds its place.”
But Clarke’s never-ending battle for fitness, his moderate but clear decline in recent seasons and the emergence of Steve Smith as Australia’s best batsman and a sharp and inspirational captain, have provided compelling reasons for a sea change in the one-day team.
Clarke would not be drawn on his future as Australia prepared to face their trans-Tasman neighbours at the MCG in the biggest game on the international cricket calendar, though he said recently he wanted to play on after the World Cup.
Clarke’s predecessor Ricky Ponting is adamant the 33-year-old should retire from one-day ranks after the final to give him the best chance of extending his Test career for at least two years.
Ponting used his own example as the replacement for captain Steve Waugh in 2002 as the blueprint for successful succession planning.
“I believe that the right time for Michael to hand over the one-day captaincy to Steve will be after the conclusion of this World Cup,” Ponting said.
“In Michael’s body and mind he may only have another two or three years left at Test level.
“I think it would be a good time for Steve to take over the one-day job and Michael to remain as Test captain. This would give Smithy a bit more of a chance to get used to the idea of captaining his country long term.”
Ponting became one-day captain in 2002, but did not become permanent captain in all formats for another two years.
“That period was definitely helpful for me,” Ponting said.
“It allowed me to get my head around the job before Tugga (Waugh) retired two years later.
“Smithy has had a similar background to mine in that he has not done a huge amount of captaincy, even though he has impressed whenever given the chance.”
Clarke said it was unlikely Australia would make any changes for the final while New Zealand, who beat South Africa in Auckland in the other semifinal, are also likely to maintain the same XI.
