Published: Feb 03, 2017, 11:35 AM (IST)
Edited: Feb 03, 2017, 03:39 PM (IST)
SYDNEY: Former Australia captain Michael Clarke will get his first taste of coaching at the elite level against Sri Lanka later this month after being put in charge of the Prime Minister’s XI for a Twenty20 match in Canberra. Clarke retired at the end of the 2015 Ashes series in England after playing 115 Tests and has since confined his involvement in the game to the commentary booth and a couple of club matches. The 35-year-old said he was “thrilled” to mentor a side captained by Adam Voges and including Australia ODI stalwart George Bailey and returning Test pace bowler James Pattinson.
“The squad has a really good mix of experienced players and some exciting young talent,” Clarke said. “I think we’ll be really competitive against Sri Lanka, and I know we can play an exciting brand of cricket in front of what will hopefully be a big crowd in Canberra.”Cricket Australia have drafted in Clarke’s predecessor as captain, Ricky Ponting, former Test batsman Justin Langer and former pace bowler Jason Gillespie to lead the home side in the three-match Twenty20 series against Sri Lanka. Voges to lead PM XI in SL tour game at Canberra
“I played with and against quite a few players in the team during my career, including captain Adam Voges, and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside him,” said Clarke. Clarke feels that the match will provide an opportunity for talented youngsters like Will Pucovski, Arjun Nair and Jason Sangha to showcase their potential against an international opponent. “Most importantly, this is a great opportunity for all the players in the side to perform against a strong international team,” he said.
The final match of the series will conclude in Adelaide on Feb. 22, only a dozen or so hours before Australia begin their four-Test series against India in Pune. The first Test will be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium from February 23. The second Test will be from March 4-8 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. The third Test will be at Ranchi from March 16-20, whereas the fourth and final game will be at Dharamsala from March 25.
(With inputs from IANS)
