There's no rush for Michael, says Ponting

Australian captain Ricky Ponting responds to Shane Warne's choice for his deputy by saying that there's no rush to promote Clarke.

Shane Warne may have voiced his choice of Michael Clarke as the vice-captain ahead of veteran Adam Gilchrist but captain Ricky Ponting feels the youngster did not really need to be his deputy before taking over reins of the team.

HT Image

Warne yesterday suggested the name of close friend and "maturing" batsman Clarke to replace Gilchrist as Ponting's deputy.

"I went pretty much from nowhere to the captaincy role and that seemed to work quite well, so there's no rush for Michael" Ponting said.

"As long as he's thinking like a vice-captain should around the group, then you get as much experience doing that as you do being vice-captain anyway. The vice-captain of a cricket team doesn't really do a lot, he's really there for me, to be a bit of a sounding board and bounce ideas off," he was quoted as saying by the 'Herald Sun'.

Ponting said the 26-year-old Clarke was growing into a leader and would get his due at the appropriate time.

"The day will come when Michael gets his opportunity, it might not be right now, might not be six months, but I think the opportunity will come.

"I think it'll happen if he stays in the side and stays playing the way he has for the last 12 months. He's really growing into a leader around the group and that's what you need."

Ponting also praised Clarke, a former Australian under-19 skipper, as a deep thinker about the game, which was evident during his Twenty20 captaincy against New Zealand on Tuesday.

"Michael's been good at coming to me and thinks about the game pretty well. That's why I think he found himself as captain the other night."

About Warne's comments on the issue, Ponting said: "Warney and Pup are very close and very good mates, I don't know if he's had a shot at Gilly. It's more trying to start the evolution of Michael Clarke and pushing him into more responsibility in the team."