Thursday, June 21, 2012

Don't think about Ashes, says Clarke

Updated June 19, 2012 22:25:07

Captain Michael Clarke says his inexperienced Australian team-mates risk missing out on next year's Ashes tour by focusing too much on it.

The Australians are gearing up for this month's five-match one-day series against England which is being viewed as a teaser for the 2013 battle for the urn.

With half of the touring squad having never played a one-day international in England, the Australian brains trust is keen for the likes of Pat Cummins, James Pattinson and David Warner to soak up the experience.

Clarke said the youthful looking team had to focus on getting the job done in the next three weeks with the Ashes still more than a year away.

"It's important for us as a group to not get too carried away with the Ashes," Clarke said.

"The reality is, if we don't perform as a team now, you don't even worry about the Ashes because you're not on that trip.

"It's so far away for us that as a team we haven't spoken about it.

"Yes, it is the pinnacle as a Test cricketer.

"It's in the back of your mind, but we've got a lot of cricket in front of us where we're going to have to perform individually and as a team, before we even worry about the Ashes."

Australia open their tour with a 50-over clash against Leicestershire on Thursday at Grace Road with the series against England starting on June 29 at Lord's.

Coach Mickey Arthur is open to the idea of playing young speedsters Cummins and Pattinson together in the national team for the first time.

The quicks have helped re-energise the Australian team in the past 12 months with only injuries stopping them from not playing at the same time.

"I think there might be an opportunity down the line," Arthur said.

"We have a good stock of fast bowlers and there are places up for grabs.

"These three warm-up games are going to determine who plays.

"There is a lot to play for, certainly in the fast bowling department."

Clarke warned the pitches in England meant Cummins and Pattinson, who can both clock speeds of up to 150km/h, couldn't afford to rely on their raw pace.

"It doesn't matter how fast you bowl, if you're not accurate, you're not going to have success," he said.

The tourists will play Ireland in a one-day international in Belfast on Saturday and Essex at Chelmsford three days later.

AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, united-kingdom, england

First posted June 19, 2012 09:25:12


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