Clarke replaces injured Ponting as skipper

Michael Clarke will captain Australia in next week’s final Ashes Test in the absence of injured Ricky Ponting.

SYDNEY: Michael Clarke will captain Australia for the first time and Usman Khawaja will make a historic debut in next week’s final Ashes Test in the absence of injured Ricky Ponting.

Clarke was promoted from vice-captain to lead the team after Ponting was ruled out with a fractured finger. Clarke will also captain Australia in the limited overs and Twenty20 matches against England following the Test series, with Cameron White as his deputy.

Pakistan-born Khawaja will become the first Muslim to play Test cricket for Australia as Ponting’s batting replacement as the home side seeks to level the series. Brad Haddin was named vice-captain.

Ponting, whose X-rays revealed that he had sustained further damage to a fractured little finger suffered earlier in the series, blamed Australia’s bench strength for their comprehensive innings defeat in the fourth Test in Melbourne.

“Maybe we have not got as deep a pool of talent to pick from that we have had in previous years,” Ponting told the Sydney Morning Herald. “You look back 20 years or 30 years, we were one of the worst cricket nations in the world. We haven’t been a powerhouse of world cricket forever.

“We have to try to develop a pool of players once again so we have ready-made international players to pick from. I look forward to doing whatever I can do to get these young guys to develop into better players,” said Ponting who will be leading the team at the  2011 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Khawaja will be considered for the demanding number three spot, the position occupied by Ponting.

“Khawaja will make his debut for Australia in this match, something we are excited about given his tremendous form at domestic level over the past two seasons,” said chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch.

Back to work

England coach Andy flower has already started getting his side back to work after England retained the Ashes. Flower said the England players were a little worse for wear after celebrating their win in Melbourne.

England are chasing their first series win in Australia for 24 years in the final Sydney Test. “We’ve celebrated and it’s time to move on now,” said Flower. “The guys did celebrate yesterday, but they also realise their responsibilities to the team and the team’s reputation.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2010.