Australia cricket team captain Michael Clarke has insisted that he has no plans to retire from either Test or ODI cricket despite injuries increasingly hampering his availability.
Clarke is in danger of missing the first Test against India next month as he struggles to overcome a hamstring problem that kept him out of much of the recent ODI series against South Africa.
It is the third hamstring issue the skipper has had since August. The 33-year-old also continues to undergo daily treatment for a chronic back condition, raising concerns about his playing prospects this southern summer season and beyond, Sport24 reported.
But Clarke said that he has no intention of fast-tracking retirement plans or giving up one-day cricket. He denied that he had plans to retire in the next 12 months.
The 107-Test veteran revealed that his goal is to continue to play for Australia for a lot longer; adding that he loves both forms of the game and wants to continue to playing them.
Speculation has been bubbling in the media about Clarke's long-term replacement, with the in-form Steve Smith looming as a likely candidate.
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Clarke said that once one gets past the age of 30, he believes naturally there is always talk about who's going to be next, how long one plays for. He said that he probably experienced the other side of that as vice-captain.
Clarke said that people should be looking and thinking about who is going to take that role once he is either dropped or not selected, or he retires. Clarke on Monday nominated Brad Haddin as the man most likely to lead the side in the first Test on December 4 at the Gabba if he is unavailable.
The skipper said that he really hopes he is fit and there to captain Australia, adding that if not, then he believes Haddin the vice-captain should definitely takeover the captaincy.
Clarke was named in a 12-man squad Monday for the first Test, subject to his fitness.
Selector Rod Marsh suggested that Wednesday was the deadline day to get himself ready to play for a Cricket Australia XI against the tourists in Adelaide on Friday.
If he came through that match, then he would take his place in the Brisbane Test side against India, the report added.
