Brad Haddin backs Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 for Sydney Test
The newly appointed vice-captain of the Australian Test team Brad Haddin hopes that his appointment would last only one Test and the regular captain Ricky Ponting would return to lead the team in their next Test series.
Haddin was elevated to the job after Ponting was ruled out of the fifth and final Ashes Test against England at Sydney due to a finger injury.
Michael Clarke, Ponting’s vice-captain, would lead the team in the Test match that matters little after England retained the Ashes urn with a resounding win in the fourth Test that ended at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Wednesday.
Haddin, who remained unbeaten when the last Aussie wicket fell in the second innings, sank to his knees in disappointment clearly indicating that the loss to the old enemy was hard to swallow.
A couple of days later, he has vowed to back Clarke in the Sydney Test where the Aussies would aim to draw the series and not let England return home with both the urn and the series to their name.
However, the task is not going to be a straightforward one for Clarke and Haddin as the English team is full of confidence and are focussing on wining the series 3-1.
Another factor that might weigh in against Clarke is his dismal form with the bat. He has managed a single half-century in the series so far and now has the onus of leading the team in its toughest time in recent years.
"He is ready to do this job," Haddin said at the SCG. "He'd be excited about the prospect of captaining http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and he will do a very, very good job. We're 100% 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 ... he's the best man for the job."
Clarke is set to become the 43rd test captain of Australia, and while the job is a real celebration for anyone, the right-handed middle order batsman is not going over the top with his antics, in fact he is hardly rejoicing given
the state of the series.
It is not known yet as to how the Aussie fans would respond to his appointment, though Haddin hopes that the crowd would be behind his new leader.
"You are one good innings away, or sometimes one good cover drive away, from the support being with you," Haddin said. "Michael is a very strong character so things will be okay. He has got a very good cricket brain and you saw that through
the T20 World Cup [when Australia made the final]. He thinks a lot about the game, he is going to do a very good job."
The Australians can bounce back and topple the English team that lost the third match at WACA in Perth after recording a thumping innings win in the second Test at Adelaide.
In Perth, it was the magic of Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris with the ball that did the trick. Clarke and Haddin are now in search of a similar hero that can turn the tables on England at Sydney.
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