Melbourne :
Set to retire from one-day cricket after tomorrow’s World Cup final against New Zealand, Michael Clarke today said that his legacy as Australia’s ODI captain will be determined by what his teammates thought of him and his conduct after team-mate Phillip Hughes passed away in November last.
Clarke, who has been quite emotional of late post Hughes’ death, was calmness personified as the pre-World Cup final media interaction turned out into a retirement conference.
He fielded each and every query, stating that there was “no pressure on him” and the “decision to retire was taken 48 hours back” and how he still maintained that ultimate pinnacle for Australian sportsman is to “represent the country in Test cricket”.
The most quotable of his quotes was that “the game owes me nothing and I owe the game everything.”Asked to define his legacy as he prepares for his final hurrah in ODIs at the MCG tomorrow, Clarke said, “I think your legacy is dictated by what your teammates think of you, to be honest.
“I think I’ve shown through my career in any format that I’ve always put the team first. I think a lot of my legacy will be based around what happened recently off the field with my little brother (Hughes),” said Clarke who will continue to play Test cricket.
