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Remember Clarke for his courage: Sutherland

Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland has paid tribute to Michael Clarke, saying courage had defined the retiring Australian captain’s career.

Clarke announced he would retire at the end of the fifth Test at the Oval, after England crushed Australia by an innings and 78 runs at Trent Bridge to regain the Ashes with a 3-1 series lead.

“I think he will be remembered for his courage and the way he played the game,” Sutherland told reporters on Sunday.

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“I guess in terms of surprise it all comes to an end, can come to an end quite quickly.

“The thing for him that I’m pleased about is that he’s a great Australian cricketer who goes out on his own term, not necessarily playing as well or playing in a winning team like he would like to be. But he is making a decision that the time is right and I think his judgment is appropriate.

“I think Michael as we know is an aggressive and positive cricketer but he carries that through in the way he has led his team. He led Australia back to number one in Test cricket.

“I am not sure that any of us will ever forget that series in South Africa where Australia went to number one, knocked off South Africa on their home turf and he played such a pivotal role in that last Test in Cape Town when he had a broken shoulder and had a great hundred.

“He is a strong and aggressive leader and that came out in the way the players responded to his leadership.

In particular, Sutherland focused on the tumultuous last 12 months of Clarke’s career, where he battled injury and struggled to be fit for the World Cup but received praise for his leadership in response to the tragic death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes in a Sheffield Shield game at the SCG.

“I think one thing I would like to add and touch on there is let’s not forget the summer of cricket that he had last year, and the challenges that he had obviously with the death of Philip Hughes and in many ways leading the country out of their mourning,” he said.

“To come back and make runs, to then do his hamstring and have that tight timeline to get himself right to be fit for the World Cup, to get himself playing and to then to lead the country to a World Cup win it must have been a very emotional and very difficult time for him and I think some people will probably overlook just what a huge burden he carried through the summer of 2013, 14-15.”

Lehmann safe but no speculation on veterans’ future

Clarke’s retirement raised questions over other veteran members of the touring side, such as Brad Haddin and Shane Watson, but Sutherland declined to speculate on their future.

Asked whether Australian coach Darren Lehmann was safe in his position after the Ashes loss, the CA boss replied: “Yes.”

AAP

Cricket Australia chief James Sutherland. Photo: AAP

Sutherland was equivocal when asked if Australia had the leaders in the dressing room to replace Clarke, in particular the captain-in-waiting Steve Smith.

“It’s hard to say. I think we have got someone in waiting (Smith) who has had experience as a captain,” he said.

“He’s been in recent weeks in recent months he’s been rated as the big Test cricketer in the world. Steven is ready for this challenge.

“But as anyone will tell you who has been close to or has been a Test cricket captain, it is not an easy job, it is not an easy transition and nobody is ready made to walk into it and make a success of it.

“But we still have confidence in Steven who the decision hasn’t been made but he is clearly the heir apparent and we wish him well and we will provide him with all the support in time.”

Sutherland acknowledged there would be a review of the tour to see what had gone wrong.

“Sadly and as we do after every tour, win lose or draw, we will review performances and make assessments on things that have happened during the course of the tour, he said.

“What happened leading into it, whatever aspect of it the preparation and delivery and execution and I am not saying that is necessarily me or at board level, that is at an operational level really taking responsibility.

“It’s a disappointing end to an Ashes series. And disappointing given we have had some significant highs including a World Cup win only just a couple of months ago.”

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