http://www.senore.com/Cricket/MJ-Clarke-c1978 eyes number one ODI ranking – Cricket News Update
Australia’s Test and One Day International (ODI) captain, Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120, wants to regain the number one ranking in the 50-over format, but understands that his team will have to work very hard to achieve the feat.
The kangaroos were the world’s best ODI team till their recent tour of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013, where Clarke and company failed to make an impression, losing the battle by four games to none, which is a disastrous result for a team of Australia’s calibre.
Consequently, the Baggy Greens are now placed at number four on the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750.
Australia’s next assignment in international cricket is against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/United-Arab-Emirates-c3033, which comprises of three ODIs and as many T20 Internationals, before the two teams take part in the ICC World T20 2012, to be held
in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 in September/October.
Clarke’s men will start the series as favourites because of their past record against the Green Shirts, although the conditions in UAE will be in favour of Pakistan due to their strength in the spin bowling department. The middle-order batsman however, does
not want his team to be complacent and wants them to work hard to regain the lost pride of the country’s cricket.
"We've got a lot of work to do to get back to the No. 1 one day team in the world, where we'd all like to be," he said.
While talking about his team’s defeat against England, Clarke admitted that his side was outclassed in all departments of the game by a strong English side, which has been doing well under Alastair Cook’s captaincy.
The Australian captain believes that the series against Pakistan will test his side’s strengths and weaknesses.
"We came up against a pretty good team in England in conditions they were used to, their confidence was pretty high as well after beating the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760. But it's no different against Pakistan, they know these conditions really well, I think spin's going
to play a huge part in this series, both facing it and bowling it," the 31-year-old cricketer added.
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