Michael Clarke is the best captain in the world, says Ian Chappell

Michael Clarke with the ICC Test World No.1 mace

Former Australian captain Ian Chappell has called Michael Clarke, who led Australia back to the top in the ICC Test rankings, as the best captain in the world at the moment.

"Clarke is a really good captain and I cannot think of another one who can - I haven't seen much about Angelo Mathews. I really don't know about him." Chappell said after voicing his opinion on India’s captaincy. The Aussie also placed Clarke above all other international leaders.

“Apart from (MS) Dhoni, (Alastair) Cook and (Graeme) Smith, all are very-very average captains. In my opinion they are miles behind Michael Clarke,” he said.

The former batsmen also took a dig at the captain of their Ashes rivals: “A captain should have respect from players and they should believe in his ability as a captain. Australia will be delighted if Cook is the captain when the next series takes place.”

Further commenting on Clarke, the 70-year-old said: "He seems to know how to manage his back problems, but I don't see him going for a long time. I enjoy watching him as a captain because he makes things happen.”

On naming a successor for Clarke, Chappell tipped either Steve Smith or David Warner to take over from Clarke soon.

"Steve Smith probably. I think he is a very good cricketer. He has captained in shorter-form of the game. He has got all the attributes. He is just starting now to really establish himself as a player.

"Warner also wouldn't be a bad captain. I would like to see Warner to shut up and stop stupid talk on the field. It is not a good thing to come in as a captain with that kind of reputation. Somebody should tell him David you can win matches with the bat - forget the tongue," he concluded by giving Warner a piece of advice.