Clarke interested in PM's XI role

Cricket Australia has confirmed they have spoken to several candidates, including former Test and ODI skipper Michael Clarke, about captaining or coaching the Prime Minister's XI against Sri Lanka early next year.

Clarke revealed on Thursday night that he had spoken to CA about being involved in the annual match at Canberra's Manuka Oval, which this season will be a Twenty20 clash on February 15.

Clarke, who retired from international cricket in August last year but has continued to play sporadically at club level, says he's interested in either role for the PM's XI match but has no real ambitions to coach full-time.

"I’ll speak to Pat (CA's Executive General Manager of High Performance Pat Howard) about it and make a decision," Clarke said. "They’ve asked me to do it and I’m happy to help them any way I can.

"It would be a one-off just to help the boys out more than anything.

"I don’t have any ambitions to coach at this stage, I’ve only just got out of the game from playing and I’m really happy with where I’m at and what I’m doing."

CA said the coach and captain of the PM's XI will be announced in due course.

"We are speaking to a number of people, including Michael, about the prospect of coaching or captaining the PM's XI against Sri Lanka," a CA spokesperson said. "At this stage no decision has been made on either appointment."

First played in 1951, the PM's XI clash has been an annual summer fixture for more than 30 years and pits a touring team against a side selected by the Prime Minister.

The captain of the PM's XI has regularly been a former Test and ODI player, with the likes of Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Brett Lee and Mike Hussey all holding the role in the past decade.

Australia's current fielding coach Greg Blewett coached the PM's XI last summer, with Ryan Harris as his assistant, while current Queensland coach Phil Jaques held the role the previous season.

It comes as Australia continues its search for a coach to take the reins of the three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka that will follow the PM's XI clash.

Quick Single: Warne interested in T20 coaching role

Cricket Australia has confirmed they will need a fill-in coach for the matches in Melbourne (on February 17), Geelong (Feb 19) and Adelaide (Feb 22), when regular head coach Darren Lehmann and his assistants will be in India with the Test side.

Recently retired champions Harris and Brad Haddin will travel to New Zealand in late January 2017 for the Chappell-Hadlee series to assist Lehmann while full-time assistants David Saker and Graeme Hick head to India early to begin preparation for the four-Test series.

Both Harris and Haddin already have experience in the coaching pathway since stepping away from international cricket last year, while the likes of Hussey and Brad Hodge have also held roles as part of CA's coaching pathway.

Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting have also been linked to the role.

PM's XI skippers since John Howard

• 2015-16: Mike Hussey
• 2014-15: Chris Rogers
• 2013-14: Brett Lee
• 2012-13: Ricky Ponting
• 2011-12: Brad Haddin
• 2010-11: Tim Paine
• 2009-10: Matthew Hayden
• 2008-09: Justin Langer
• 2007-08: Cameron White

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