I am not the right guy for number three: Clarke

BRIDGETOWN - Australian skipper Michael Clarke, who suffered his only defeat of the World Twenty20 Cup in the final against England on Sunday, has said that he is not the right guy to bat at number three.

“I am sure the selectors will sit down and have a look, and if I am not the right guy for number three and the captaincy of this team, then they will make that decision,” said Clarke.

“There is no doubt that the selectors will need to have a look at my performances. I certainly know they haven’t been up to scratch through this whole tournament and probably in Twenty20 cricket in general,” he added.

Clarke struggled throughout the tournament in the Caribbean with his 27 in the final his highest score, reports The News.

Clarke, however, remains the favourite to replace Ricky Ponting as the next test skipper, when he eventually retires from the five-day format of the game.

“It’s been a wonderful tournament, the boys have been so supportive. I have enjoyed every minute it. Captaining your country is a wonderful thing and I’ve been a very lucky boy to get that chance,” said Clarke.

“There are no guarantees in this world and it’s about getting back and preparing for the next tournament. With Ricky being our captain, I’ll be back as vice-captain, which I really enjoy. We have a wonderful leader back in Australia in any form of the game,” he added.

Clarke said that despite the disappointment of the final, the tournament had been a positive experience and the semi-final win over Pakistan would be remembered as one of the greatest in Twenty20.

“We are disappointed. It’s not the Ashes but it’s a big tournament that we wanted to do really well in. But in saying that our guys can hold their heads high,” said Clarke.

“I hope people have enjoyed the brand of cricket we played and we’ll continue to improve in this form of cricket,” he added. (ANI)