Michael Clarke to captain Melbourne Stars in Big Bash League

Michael Clarke poses with a Melbourne Stars jersey

Melbourne, April 17 (IANS) Newly-appointed Melbourne Stars skipper and current Australia Test captain Michael Clarke on Friday said he is confident he has the game to help bring a first Big Bash League T20 title to the club. Clarke takes over the captaincy after Cameron White, who left the club to join cross-town rival Melbourne Renegades, with David Hussey to take the reigns when Clarke is on Test duties.

"There's a goal I haven't achieved yet and that's trying to help a team win the BBL and I look forward to the challenge over the next couple of years trying to help the Melbourne Stars," Clarke was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

"I'm really confident. We have a fantastic team and have done for a few years now. I'm hopeful I can help contribute and bring a title to the Melbourne Stars," he said.

Clarke is yet to play a match in the T20 Big Bash League competition due to his heavy international commitments. He retired from One-Day-International (ODI) cricket after Australia's successful World Cup campaign and says dropping the 50-over format allows him to concentrate on T20 cricket.

"I think I showed most recently in the World Cup final that I can still play in this format. I've never had the opportunity to focus on the T20 format," Australia's 34-year-old Test skipper said.

"A big part of why I retired from international Twenty20 cricket was so that I could focus on just the two formats. For my style of play and my body, I needed to concentrate on those two formats to get the best out of myself," Clarke concluded.