Michael Clarke had the Ashes in safe keeping before Christmas, but he still struggles to rate 2013 as a successful year for Australian cricket
Three wide-margin wins over England have put the hosts in an unassailable lead already, with a whitewash on the agenda if they can close the deal again in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne and then Sydney in the new year.
Australia’s Brad Haddin with his wife Karina Haddin and children Mia, Hugo and Zac ahead of the Christmas Day lunch in Melbourne. PICs/Getty Images
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But Clarke is mindful that the sudden rush of success is at odds with what preceded it, under his captaincy -- including Australia’s own 3-0 Ashes defeat in England last summer.
Michael Clarke poses with hisu00a0wife Kyly Clarke yesterday
He is therefore both mildly empathetic with the lot of his opposite number Alastair Cook, and very wary of crowing about Australia’s improvement just yet.
“We’ve experienced a lot of tough times over the past couple of years -- especially the last 12 months, when we haven’t had much success at all,” he said.
“So I don’t think it would be fair for me to sit here and give advice to Alastair or the England team -- because we’ve only won three Test matches out of a dozen now.
Mitchell Johnson plays with his daughter Rubika yesterday
“That certainly doesn’t sound like a successful Test cricketing year for an Australian team. “We’re ranked fifth in the world and won three Test matches in the past 12 months, so there’s no complacency at all.
Important Test
“This Test is as important as (the first one in) Brisbane was.”u00a0Clarke has had a prolific series so far at number four, but added: “I know how quickly you can be praised by the media and I also know how quickly you can be criticised.
“I’m not silly enough at 32 years of age to look past tomorrow - because I know a couple of ducks and my job’s on the line, or a couple of losses and I’m under the same pressure.”
As for Cook, the advice from down under is that -- however bad things seem -- the tide will turn eventually. “You’ve just got to keep the faith,” Clarke said.
“England have a very good team, a lot of very good individual players.”
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