Michael Clarke will soak up a dream ODI swansong for a little while longer, but the desire to lead Australia’s Test side onto greater things is as strong as ever.
The 15-man squad that piloted Australia to their fifth one-day title will enjoy a public celebration at Melbourne’s Federation Square on Monday.
But attention will soon turn to upcoming Test tours of West Indies and England, with a squad announcement expected on Tuesday.
The chance to win an Ashes series in England for the first time since 2001 is obviously the priority for Cricket Australia.
But the goal of reclaiming top spot on the ICC’s Test ranking is also at the forefront of Clarke’s mind, with retirement far from his thoughts.
“Now I want to enjoy this moment,” Clarke said.
“By walking away from the one-day game, hopefully it will prolong my Test career.
“But I’ve got to perform and I’ve got to win games for Australia.
“That’s my goal.
“If I can help the team get back to No.1 and have success in our next few tours and back in Australia, then I’ll assess after that.”
Clarke pointed out he was “only 33” and felt he still had “plenty of time left” in an international career that started in 2003.
“Performance will dictate that. I’ve got to be making runs. I’ve got to be enjoying it,” he said.
“When the time is right, though, I’ll make sure I’m gone.
“I don’t want to stand in any player’s way. If I can’t help the team have success, then my time is up.”
Clarke noted he would use the free time created by his ODI retirement to spend more time with his family and look at some business ventures outside cricket.
The veteran has been linked to Big Bash League franchise Melbourne Stars, but Clarke suggested Australia’s World Cup campaign had stopped him from thinking too much about a Twenty20 stint.
“Now that the World Cup is over, I’ll have some time to have a think about what I want to do there.” Clarke said.
“I don’t want to rush away from this feeling right now and this moment. I want to enjoy it over the next few days.”
Clarke could think of no better way to end his ODI career than winning a World cup on home soil.
“There’s no such thing as fairytales in sport, but that’s probably as close as it gets for me,” he said.
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