Michael Clarke is refusing to categorically rule out a comeback as Australian Test captain in the wake of the ball-tampering scandal that has rocked world cricket.
Clarke is hoping for forgiveness for Steve Smith after the embattled skipper admitted to his team cheating during the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town.
“If I was asked by the right people, then I would think about my answer,” Clarke said on the Nine Network after being grilled about the potential of answering any SOS call from officials.
Despite saying he was “appalled” that the leadership group – which has comprised of Smith, David Warner, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon – had even contemplated cheating, Clark sympathised with the captain.
“When I look at that, Steve Smith wants to captain Australia. In my heart, I believe he has just made a really, really bad mistake,” Clarke said.
“I hope there can be a way around this, that he can continue to captain Australia.”
Three years into retirement, Clarke tried to “sit on the fence” when repeatedly asked if he would consider a recall as captain.
“This is so raw right now. This is not about me at all,” he said.
“This is about Australian cricket and the future of Australian cricket and where these current players and this current structure and leadership sits, and my job is to make sure I can help this game come back from this.
“I work for Channel Nine and I sit on this desk today and I really hope that that young man finds a way to be able to captain Australia.”
Asked what his wife thought of a possible recall, Clarke again left the sensational possibility of a comeback open.
“She just sent me a text message with, “What’s the emoji?” The monkey has the hands over her eyes,” he said.
“She is at home waiting for the answer as well, I imagine.”
Clarke, who said he had “never cheated” during his eight-year Test captaincy, said it was a “terrible” day for Australian cricket.
“I am pretty emotional about it all, to be honest,” he said.
“I have no doubt in my mind Steve Smith will be sitting in his hotel room right now in tears.
“Steve Smith is such a lovely, lovely guy, it – you can see there he’s just shattered. I really feel sorry for him.
“I feel for those two guys. I can’t believe I say that because of what has happened, but Cameron Bancroft – this is his eighth Test match.
“I can’t believe if the leadership group has made a decision to do this, that they have gone and got the young kid who is playing his eighth Test match to do that.
“As a leader, you can’t ask somebody to do something you are not willing to do yourself, number one.
“It is premeditated cheating. It is blatant cheating. It is disgraceful. It is not accepted by anyone, particularly in Australia. We’ve got the best bowling attack in the world. We don’t need to cheat to beat anybody.
“I have no doubt in my mind that every past Australian cricketer will be absolutely shattered with what we found out this morning.”
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