Share

Clarke targets Ashes whitewash

Melbourne - Michael Clarke vowed on Tuesday to lead an all-out assault on England as Australia go for a 5-0 Ashes series triumph, targeting the top spot in Test cricket.

"People have been asking me how we're going to approach the Boxing Day Test after already winning back the Ashes," skipper Clarke wrote in his Tuesday column for The Telegraph.

"The answer is easy - full throttle," he said in what the daily called the "blueprint for Ashes whitewash".

"Momentum is a rare and precious commodity. When you have it you run with it as hard as you can because you're never sure how long it will last."

Clarke has taken Australia to victory in the opening three Tests, ending England's recent Ashes dominance.

"Now that we're starting to win again it would be silly to take our foot off the gas," he said.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said the team were preparing in the same fighting spirit as the previous Tests despite having clinched the series.

"You never take a Test match for granted, I've never played in a dead rubber and that's from the bottom of my heart," he said.

"I don't think the feeling in the group's changed since we came together in Brisbane. We've had a clear goal of what we wanted to do as a team and that hasn't changed."

Haddin said the team's plans had always looked beyond the Ashes to cementing the top spot in Test cricket.

"We want to challenge ourselves to be the best cricketers we can be as a group, and we hope that end result's to be number one in the world," he said.

"That's the path we want to take and a lot of hard work has to go into that. At the moment we're doing all of the right things to do that."

Australia are currently in fifth place in the ICC's Test rankings, while England are two places above them in third behind leaders South Africa and India.

Australia are due to tour South Africa in February and March with Haddin saying that trip would be a "true test" of their current winning form.

"You want to play the best, you're not going to get to number one hiding away and not playing. You've got to beat the best obviously here in our backyard but in theirs as well."

The fourth Test against England meanwhile starts in Melbourne on Thursday with the final leg in Sydney from January 3.

"We want to show our many thousands of fans in Melbourne and Sydney the same dominant, aggressive cricket we have been able to play at near full stadiums in Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth," Clarke said.

The Australian captain paid tribute to retiring off-spinner Graeme Swann and said England would miss him.

"I couldn't believe it when he announced his sudden retirement," on Sunday, Clarke admitted.

"England are going to miss him for a number of reasons, not just because he was a high quality spinner.

"He was also integral to England as a slips fieldsman with a very good set of hands and he's one of those cheerful guys who always make life in the change rooms more fun."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1843 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1810 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1100 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 470 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 261 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE