Australia’s Test cricket squad won’t be training until Tuesday but there’ll be plenty of action before then.

The main interest in the build-up to Friday’s first Test against New Zealand in Wellington will be the arrival of vice-captain Michael Clarke, who quit the one-day series five days ago to sort out his private life in Sydney.

Clarke, 28, ended his engagement to model Lara Bingle following the nude photo scandal which has dominated newspapers and talkback radio in Australia for the past week.

While the majority of the Test-only players are due to arrive in Wellington on Monday, media and public interest will be high on the both sides of the ditch for any sighting of Clarke in the team hotel, or anywhere for that matter.

NSW team-mate Steve Smith will be a bystander to the media circus surrounding Clarke over the next few days, but the youngster could find himself in the spotlight by Friday.

The 20-year-old leg-spinner is fresh from a stunning return of 7-64 in South Australia’s second innings in this week’s Sheffield Shield match in Sydney.

Smith’s 772 Shield runs this summer at 77.20, including four centuries, have put him right in the frame for a Test debut at the expense of out-of-form West Australian Marcus North.

North, who has averaged under 25 in Shield cricket, finds himself in a desperate situation and has no warm-up game in Wellington in the coming days to prove his worth, having failed to grasp opportunities in the Test series in January against Pakistan when he averaged 10.25.

Queensland quick Ryan Harris, who took eight wickets in the first four one-day international games against New Zealand before being rested for game five on Saturday with a toe complaint, is expected to be fit to play in the first Test if required.

The uncapped Harris and one-Test Victorian paceman Clint McKay will be competing for a spot alongside Doug Bollinger and Mitchell Johnson.

AUSTRALIA squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Ryan Harris, Phillip Hughes, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Clint McKay, Marcus North, Steven Smith, Shane Watson.

© AAP 2012

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