Michael Clarke looks to youth post ODI retirement

Recently retired One Day International (ODI) captain Michael Clarke has had a big week.

He announced his retirement from the short form of the game after 245 matches, lifted the ICC World Cup Trophy for the first time as captain and was named captain for the upcoming tour of the West Indies and United Kingdom to retain the Ashes.

You’d think he’d want to take a break after a long and strenuous summer; wrong.

In his spare time Clarke will engage kids in cricket as part of the Michael Clarke Cricket Academy (MCCA) aimed at developing the next crop of elite talent.

“This game has been so good to me and I’m extremely grateful and I’ll forever pay that back, I’ve started my own cricket academy,” Clarke said.

“I want to see boys and girls have the same opportunities, if not better opportunities than I had to play this great game.”

Encompassing all aspects of cricketing life, the program involves training regimes, diet advice and even media training and public speaking.

One of Australia’s most successful captains, Clarke began the program to contribute to the game that he has thrived in from a very young age.

“It’s been an honour and a privilege to not only play for this county but to have the chance to captain Australia is something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”

MCCA Director of Coaching Ben Sawyer said Clarke was extremely hands on with the program which came as an initial shock.

“He wanted it to be exactly how he trained, he wrote the program and he is extremely hands on,” Sawyer said.

“A few years ago 300 candidates were shortlisted and he was in Abu Dhabi looking through them and picked 24, it just shows his commitment.

“The program is run with the ethos ‘to play as high as you can for as long as you can’… whether that is First Grade or for Australia, both are great.”

Applications for the September intake are currently open and available here.