Dubai: Australian skipper Michael Clarke will neither change his style of captaincy nor his team’s approach to the game when they take on Pakistan in the first Test at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
“My style of captaincy is to try to win the game. So that won’t change. If it means I’ve got to be more aggressive with field setting, if it means I’ve got to be less aggressive at times to build pressure, then I’ll have to do that as well,” remarked Clarke.
When asked whether his team will also use sledging to dent the confidence of the Pakistan team especially since they are made of many youngsters, Clarke said: “It’s certainly not something we’ve spoken about as a team. I think our natural game is to play with aggression and play positive cricket. That’s our natural way. But we certainly haven’t spoken about sledging or banter as such. It will be about making sure we are 100 per cent ready to play when we walk out onto that field, and we play aggressive cricket.”
Clarke assured that even if they do sledge, he will make sure no one goes overboard. “It has been made very clear to the team that there’s a line. I regularly talk to the team about that. There’s a line you can’t cross and I’ll be making sure that as number one I’ll be leading by example there. I don’t overstep that mark, and number two the team certainly follows in that direction. I’d like us to be aggressive and play positive cricket, there’s no doubt about it. But we won’t be overstepping that mark, and if somebody does I’ll make sure that I’m there to stop that.”
Clarke, who returns to action after a five-week lay off due to injury, does not think he is out of form. “I wouldn’t say lack of form. The last time I played I made 68 not out, that was in a one-day series against Zimbabwe. The time before that I got a golden duck but before that I got 161 not out. So in my last three bats I think I’m doing okay in regards to form. So I don’t feel there’s a lack of form,” he said.
“I think there’s certainly a lack of game practice under my belt. I haven’t played in a game for five weeks, if you take out the most recent practice game. And we as a team haven’t played Test cricket for a while. I would have loved to have played some more Test cricket over that period. I think it’s been nice to have a break and freshen up and get my body as fit and healthy as I can be as well,” he added.
Clarke is least bothered about not getting runs in the two innings for Australia against Pakistan A at Sharjah. “For the amount of cricket that I’ve played, I don’t think not scoring many runs in a practice match recently is going to have too much effect. I think once I walk out into the middle tomorrow, I’ll be as well prepared as I can be, I’ll be focused, I’ll be switched on. Cricket is a tough game, sometimes you make runs and sometimes you don’t. It won’t be from lack of work. I’ve trained exceptionally hard. I feel fit and healthy and looking forward to tomorrow.”
