Ponting’s injury may allow Clarke to debut as Oz Test captain

MELBOURNE - Michael Clarke is likely to debut as Australian Test captaincy in the Boxing Day Test if incumbent skipper Ricky Ponting’s fractured finger doesn’t mend in time.

Australia has named an unchanged 12-man Ashes squad for the Boxing Day clash that could attract a world-record 100,000 spectators on the opening day.

Ponting is confident of being fit for one of the great occasions on Australia’s sporting calendar, despite X-rays revealing a fracture to the little finger of his left hand.

He played the Boxing Day Test in 2009 carrying an elbow injury, scoring a half-century, but was clearly hampered throughout the game.

“There was no doubt that I was hindered last year and to tell you the truth, I probably learned a fair bit from that,” FOX Sports quoted Ponting, as saying.

“I’m not going to be silly and put myself ahead of the team, especially in such an important game. If I don’t think I can function well, then I won’t play. But if I feel that I can function and play somewhere near - I won’t say how I’ve been playing - better than I have been playing, then I’ll play the game,” he said.

Ponting will wait until the morning of the Boxing Day game to make his call.

“I honestly think with it being a little finger on my left hand, it’s probably not as significant as my elbow was last year,” he said.

“I’m going to have as much treatment and look after it as well as I can the next few days. What sort of a percentage am I to play?

I think I’m a really good chance of playing. It’s only a small fracture. It’s a bit sore and angry at the moment but I’ll be right,” he added. (ANI)