Cup should be Clarke's swansong: Ponting
Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has called on Michael Clarke to quit one day cricket and hand the reins to Steve Smith after the World Cup.
The two-time World Cup winning skipper said the time was right for Clarke to step aside and feels quitting ODI's would preserve his Test career.
The call comes as the Australian selectors ponder rushing Clarke back into the side to lead Australia in Saturday's World Cup opener against England following his successful return in Wednesday's warm-up win over the UAE.
"I believe that the right time for Michael to hand over the one-day captaincy to Steven will be after the conclusion of this World Cup," Ponting said in a column for the Cricinfo website.
"Retiring from one-day games will also allow Michael’s body regular rest and recovery periods, something that has effectively taken place numerous times already as he has sat out a lot of ODI series.
"In Michael’s body and mind he may only have another two or three years left at Test level, and I think it would be a good time for Steven to take over the one-day job and Michael to remain as Test captain.
"This would give Smithy a bit more of a chance to get used to the idea of captaining his country long-term.
"At the same time, I am firm in believing that Michael is the right man to lead the team through this World Cup campaign."
Clarke top-scored with 64 against the UAE in his first international match in two months, showing he has fully recovered from his hamstring injury.
Ponting said he’s confident Clarke can lead Australia to victory in the World Cup, which concludes at the MCG on March 29.
But he remains highly impressed by Smith's credentials after his leadership of Australia during the Test series win over India this summer.
"Smithy will be a fine ODI captain in time, but the next six weeks should be Michael’s moment to chart the team to his own cup success," Ponting said.
Ponting compared the potential handover to his ascension to the top job in 2002 when he was appointed one day captain and Steve Waugh was axed.
"It allowed me to get my head around the job before Tugga (Waugh) retired two years later and I became captain across both formats before we travelled to Sri Lanka in 2004," Ponting said.
Ponting said he expected Clarke, who led Australia to World Cup victory in 2007, to continue playing for another two or three years.
"If that performance level happens to drop off, like mine did towards the end, then you start to realise within yourself that maybe it is time to go," Ponting said.
