Sports
Clarke to retire from ODIs after World Cup
Melbourne, March 28
Australia skipper Michael
Clarke on Saturday announced that he will quit One-Day Internationals
(ODI) after the cricket World Cup final against New Zealand here on
Sunday.
"It's the right time for me and the Australian cricket
team. I was very fortunate four years ago to get the opportunity to
captain this great team and that was really good preparation for me
leading up to this World Cup,†Clarke said at the pre-match press
conference.
The final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) would
be Clarke's 245th and final ODI. The 33-year-old said he is not
confident his body will allow him to be in peak condition for the 2019
edition.
The right-hand batsman wants his successor to have a
full four-year period to mould the team ahead of the next mega event,
just as he has had following Ricky Ponting's resignation four years ago
after the team's quarterfinal elimination in India.
“The next
Australian captain deserves this opportunity. I don't think it's
realistic that I'll be fit and healthy and available to play the next
World Cup. I believe it's the right time," Clarke said.
Clarke
made his ODI debut against England at Adelaide on January 19, 2003.
Thereon he played 244 ODIs, scoring 7,907 runs at an average of 44.42.
The New South Wales player did not consider Sunday's match to be any
more significant because of his decision.
"It's a special game,
there's no doubt about it, but it needs to be about the team and I want
it to be about the team. It's not emotion, it's skill that helps you win
major games and tournaments and Sunday will be no different. It's no
more special because it's my last game," he said.
The captain,
who has struggled for continuity in ODIs due to injury, reiterated his
priority was to remain a key player for Australia in Test cricket for as
long as possible.
"I'm hopeful that it will prolong my Test
career as well. That's obviously a priority for me, to be successful in
Tests and by walking away from ODIs, it probably gives me my best
opportunity," he said.
The departing captain had only disclosed
his intentions to his family earlier. He informed Cricket Australia (CA)
chief executive James Sutherland, chief selector Rod Marsh, coach
Darren Lehmann and his teammates minutes before making the announcement
public on Saturday.
Clarke said it had been 'an honour and a
privilege' to lead Australia in one-day cricket. He declined to suggest a
successor but acknowledged that Steve Smith, who stood in for Clarke as
Test captain this summer and for one ODI, had produced some key
performances batting at No.3.
Besides Smith, the other candidate
for captaincy is likely to be George Bailey, Clarke's vice-captain for
this World Cup. Bailey led Australia in the opening match of the
tournament but was squeezed out after Clarke's return from his hamstring
injury for the pool match against New Zealand.