Clarke says Ponting won't be 'elephant in dressingroom'

CRICKET:MICHAEL CLARKE was yesterday confirmed as Test and one-day skipper of Australia, in succession to Ricky Ponting, who stood down following his country's World Cup elimination.

His first duty will be to lead an Australia side containing Ponting – now free to concentrate on his batting – into an ODI series in Bangladesh next month.

Clarke, who turns 30 on Saturday, is determined to do things his own way, but is confident the presence of a player with Ponting’s stature in the game will not prove a hindrance to him.

Asked if Ponting could be the elephant in the dressingroom, Clarke said: “I don’t think Ricky is an elephant in any room. I know he’ll let me do my job to the best of my ability. I have a very good working relationship with Punter and I’m confident that if he can continue to play as well as he has done for such a long time I’m certain it can work.”

Clarke, whose vice-captain will be Shane Watson, accepts he has never been the most popular player among Australian cricket fans, but believes he can win over his doubters.

“I don’t know the exact reasons why it’s there, but it is and I’ve had it probably my whole career,” Clarke said of his perceived lack of popularity. “So I certainly don’t sit here and think that I can get the whole of this country to like me, people are always going to have their own views, but, for me, it’s about respect.

“It’s about earning that respect, leading the team in the right way, playing cricket in the right manner and, hopefully, I can earn the respect of the doubters that are out there.”

Australia’s squad for Bangladesh shows changes to the group which travelled to the World Cup, where defeat to India ended their campaign in the quarter-finals. With Shaun Tait quitting one-day internationals after the tournament, the selectors have brought in James Pattinson, a 20-year-old pace bowler who plays state cricket for Victoria, while David Hussey missed out for family reasons and Xavier Doherty returns.

Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said: “Xavier Doherty has come into the squad for Jason Krejza. Xavier was not considered for the ICC Cricket World Cup because of a nagging back injury.

“Jason bowled well in the World Cup, but now Xavier has recovered from injury he deserves to come back into the squad.”

AUSTRALIA SQUAD: M Clarke (captain), S Watson (vice-captain), X Doherty, C Ferguson, B Haddin, J Hastings, M Hussey, M Johnson, B Lee, T Paine, J Pattinson, R Ponting, S Smith, C White.