Melbourne: Australia captain Michael Clarke on Saturday (March 28) dropped a bombshell on the eve of the World Cup final by announcing he will retire from one-day cricket after Sunday’s title-decider against New Zealand.
Michael Clarke will retire from ODI tomorrow
The 33-year-old said it was the right time for him to step back from the ODI format to prolong his test career and to allow his successor to take the one-day team forward.
“So everyone’s aware I just want everyone to know that tomorrow will be my last ODI game for Australia. I’ve just spoken to my team mates and I spoke to James Sutherland and Rod Marsh and Darren Lehmann and informed them that tomorrow will be my last ODI game for Australia. I’m extremely grateful and thankful, I just found out that tomorrow will be my 245th one-day game for Australia. It’s certainly been an honour and a privilege to represent my country in one-day cricket for that amount of games and I’m grateful to every single player that I’ve been lucky enough to play with and this team is certainly no exception to that. So I think it’s the right time for me and the Australian cricket team. Like I say, I was very fortunate four years ago to get the opportunity to captain this one-day team and that was really good preparation for me leading up to this World Cup, and I think the next Australian captain deserves the same opportunity. I don’t think it’s realistic that I’ll be fit and healthy and available to play the next World Cup so I believe it’s the right time,” Clarke told reporters at the Melbourne Cricket Ground where he hopes to lead Australia to a fifth world championship.
Clarke urged his players to put “skill over emotion” in their bid to down New Zealand in Sunday’s World Cup final, though his swan-song is sure to imbue the match with extra sentiment.
His captaincy has proved difficult in recent months, grieving the death of team mate Phillip Hughes and battling a succession of hamstring injuries.
His race to be fit for the World Cup overshadowed Australia’s preparations, and local media are certain to question the timing of his retirement announcement.
Clarke said nothing would change in his preparations for the final ODI of his career, though his every movement is certain to be under heightened scrutiny.
“I think it’s a special game, no doubt about it, but it needs to be about the team and I want it to be about the team. I just said it to my team mates then. And I’ve been the one to come out and say, ‘it’s not emotion, it’s skill that helps you win major games and major tournaments, and tomorrow will be no different’. It’s a wonderful opportunity for every single player in that change room to walk out onto the MCG in a World Cup final. It’s a very special event. But yes, it’s no more special because it’s my last game. It’s about timing for me and like I say I think now is the right time to walk away from the one-day game.”
Brendon McCullum confirmed New Zealand would bring the same team that downed South Africa in a semi-final cliff-hanger in Auckland.
Australia are also expected to bring the same side that thrashed India in Sydney, though Clarke could not confirm it.
Ventuno/Reuters