Australia ‘100 per cent behind’ stand-in captain Clarke: Haddin

SYDNEY - Vice-captain Brad Haddin has said the team is fully behind Michael Clarke as he prepares to lead Australia for the first time in the fifth and final Test of the Ashes series against England.

Clarke was named captain after Ricky Ponting was ruled out of the match after x-rays on his broken finger showed that the fracture had moved during this week’s fourth Test loss at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

“He (Clarke) is ready to do this job. He’d be excited about the prospect of captaining Australia and he will do a very, very good job,” The Age quoted Haddin, as saying.

“We’re 100 per cent behind him and, being a good mate of mine, I’ll support him in any way I can.”He deserves to be in this position, in this Test match, of captaining Australia because he’s the best man for the job,” he added.

Australia currently trails the five-match series 2-1, with the final Test to be played in Sydney from January 2.

Australia’s squad for the Sydney Test: Michael Clarke (captain), Shane Watson, Phil Hughes, Usman Khawaja, Mike Hussey, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger and Michael Beer (12th man to be named) (ANI)