Clarke raised bar to new heights: Hussey

A “shocked” Mike Hussey says retiring ODI captain Michael Clarke raised the standards of Australian cricket to new heights in his time as at the helm of the national team. 

FULL STORY: Clarke announces ODI retirement

Clarke announced his retirement from one-day international cricket on the eve of the World Cup final in Melbourne today, leaving the heavy media contingent scrambling for their social media accounts to break the news.

The 33-year-old has played 244 ODIs for Australia spanning a dozen years, but a litany of injuries in recent times has forced him to regularly miss one-day cricket.

Playing together on 147 occasions, Hussey says Clarke will be remembered as one of the greats of one-day and Test cricket, and made his biggest impact when he took over the full-time captaincy in 2011.

"The standards in the Australian team when Ricky Ponting was captain were as high as I can ever imagine," Hussey told cricket.com.au.

"Michael, he’s been able to raise the standards again.

"Raise the fitness, the skinfolds, the standards of play.

"And I know he’s not the one playing for all the other players out there, but he’s led from the front with those standards and that filtered through to the rest of the team and the rest of the squad.

"I didn’t think the standards could go any higher, but I think the Australian team with the level of their standards in all areas of their game have gone even higher."

READ: Clarke's greatest one-day perfromances

While Hussey was shocked, his former teammate and Australia legend Adam Gilchrist understood the reasoning behind the announcement.

“Not totally, I think it’s a really well judged decision but primarily for him to be able to get the best out of himself for first-class cricket and Test cricket,” Gilchrist said when asked if he was surprised by Clarke’s decision to end his ODI career after tomorrow’s World Cup Final.

“I think everyone knows the (physical) complications that he’s got, and this now allows him to extend that career I would have thought.

“His numbers stack up as some of the formidable number in one-day cricket.

“It’s been an outstanding career but it seems like – having been there to watch a training session like that (Australia’s pre-game practice at the MCG today) – the game has moved on so far from when we were playing and I feel like he was very much a part of the time that I was playing.

“I’m sure he probably feels to an extent that there’s a new type of cricket being played that’s not quite his style, so all the better for trying to maximise Test cricket.

“And physically, to give his back a rest and some time off between Tests will be good for him.”

Clarke’s retirement opens the debate as to who should be his successor.

When Clarke has been unavailable for one-day cricket, vice-captain George Bailey has regularly led Australia with aplomb, deputising as recently as the opening World Cup clash against England at the MCG six weeks ago.

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Clarke and Bailey during the Cup // Getty Images

But at 32, Bailey is only 18 months younger than the departing skipper, and the National Selection Panel may look to 25-year-old wonder kid Steve Smith.

Smith led Australia in the Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series when Bailey was suspended for a second slow over-rate offence inside 12 months, scoring an unbeaten century to guide his side home against England on Bailey’s home ground in Hobart.

Hussey is unsure as to who will take over as captain following the World Cup, but says in Bailey they have a readymade replacement, and in Smith a man for the future.

"George Bailey’s done a fantastic job over a fair period of time now," Hussey said.

"You probably don’t have to look any further than that at the moment.

"I’m sure it’s something they’ll discuss, the long-term future of the one-day team.

"Perhaps it’s a chance to start grooming someone for the next World Cup who’s going to be the skipper in the next World Cup.

"It might be Steve Smith, I don’t know.

"These are the sort of things the selectors have to discuss.

"George has done a fantastic job but if they’re looking longer term, a lot longer term, Steve Smith’s name might pop up." 

Highlights: Smith steers Australia to World Cup final

Smith is enjoying one of the most prolific Australian summers in history.

The prodigious talent scored 769 runs in four Tests against India, and since moving to No.3 in the ODI batting order he has reeled off scored of 95, 72, 65 and 105.

Smith's stunning run of form reminds Hussey of an Australian legend who also excelled at first-drop.

"I remember Ricky Ponting going through a run of form sort of similar, but he’s been phenomenal," he said.

"It’s been a golden summer for him.

"I hope he’s remembering and analysing everything when he’s going really well. Because I’m sure there’s going to be a time when things don't go well.

"You have a patch when you don’t score any runs.

"So long as he’s enjoying it and lapping it up, because unfortunately it doesn’t last forever.

"Analyse it now while it’s going really well."

Hussey says the timing of Clarke’s retirement won’t distract the Australians and their pursuit for a record fifth World Cup.

"The thing is, you don’t need any more motivation to perform in a World Cup final in front of your home fans at the MCG,” he said.

"I don’t think they’ll have to try harder to win for Pup.

"Hopefully they can keep concentrating on the game, keep executing well and send the skipper off in style."