Australia captain Michael Clarke has revealed that he is enjoying his captaincy after giving up his selection duties last year.
Even though he criticised the team selection against Zimbabwe during the Tri-series in August, which the Aussies lost, Clarke feels keeping the captain out of selection matters is the way forward.
“It (not being a selector) has definitely helped. It has allowed me more time to focus on the team. It’s a full time job being a selector and I didn’t think I could do that to the best of my ability and be captain,” Clarke told Sport360°.
“For me, that’s the way forward. I am not comfortable being a selector. I have a great relationship with Darren Lehmann (coach) and Rod Marsh (national selector) has known me since I was 16.
“We have good people in those positions. Over the last 10 years, I have disagreed with selectors but the papers didn’t write about it, this time (after the match against Zimbabwe) they did,” said Clarke, who was at the Park Hyatt in Dubai to interact with members of the Hyatt Gold Passport programme and his sponsors Qantas airlines.
The 33-year-old is currently biding his time to get fit by the first Test against Pakistan starting in Dubai on October 22. He aggravated his hamstring injury while batting against Zimbabwe in the Tri-series but he doesn’t regret pushing his body, even though the World Cup is not too far away.
“I have pushed my body to the limits every time and it has taken me to where I am now. I have always wanted to play for my country. Any opportunity I get to be on the field, I am going to do that.”
Even though preparations for the 2015 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand have begun, Clarke said the focus of the team was on winning the series against Pakistan, starting with the one-off T20 tomorrow.
“We are looking to win this series. We are not looking to gain or learn anything for the World Cup. It is going to be a tough series so we are focused and we are looking at right here, right now,” he said.
