‘I'd be very surprised if they go that way’ - Michael Clarke feels David Warner should not be handed Australia captaincy

Former Australian captain Michael Clarke came up with a bold statement as he said that David Warner should not be handed the Australian captaincy considering his age. Warner was banned permanently from leadership roles in Australia post the ball-tampering scandal in 2018. However, since the retirement of Aaron Finch from ODIs, Warner's ban has been under reconsideration by the CA board.

The 36-year-old had led the Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden title in 2016. Apart from that, Warner’s tactics on the field as a leader had impressed a lot of experts. Australia had opted for Pat Cummins as captain in the recent ODIs against England and is the likely captain for the 2023 World Cup in India. However, there is still a possibility of split captaincy on account of the workload which pops up the name of Warner.

If you're fighting for Davey to be captain, it's for marketing reasons: Michael Clarke 

Clarke hailed Warner’s tactical strengths and highlighted his IPL supremacy as a leader. However, he opined that appointing a national captain who is already 36 years won’t be ideal. He further noted that giving Warner the captaincy would be purely based on "marketing reasons". He concluded that the story around Warner’s leadership should not exist anymore and added BBL captaincy might not be a good option too. 

"Tactically Davey is very good. I've watched him do the IPL and he's been brilliant – one of the best – but at 36 years of age, I'd be very surprised if they go that way," Warner was quoted as saying by Daily Mail. 

"I think they've made it pretty clear what they feel. If you're fighting for Davey to be captain, it's for marketing reasons. I don't think the BBL [Big Bash League] is the right opportunity for Davey to captain. I know he hasn't been campaigning but he hasn't shut it off, either. I think this story should disappear, fade away," he added.