Captaincy no certainty for Clarke - Gilchrist

Michael Clarke will not necessarily succeed Ricky Ponting as Australia's captain despite his promotion to the top job for next week's Twenty20 game against New Zealand, according to Adam Gilchrist. Ponting is being rested for Tuesday's match and Clarke was named captain of a squad that included Gilchrist and Michael Hussey, both of whom have filled in for Ponting in the past.

The move was seen as an indication that Clarke would be groomed to eventually take over from Ponting on a full-time basis. However, Gilchrist said that was not a done deal, although he supported the decision to give Clarke a taste of leadership in the Twenty20 match.

"It's not just Pup [Clarke]," Gilchrist told the Weekend Australian. "Mike Hussey was captain in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy earlier this year and is obviously a candidate. It's a matter of the selectors exploring all the options as they plan for the future.

"They should certainly keep Huss in the loop and any other guys they think will be worthy of higher honours down the track. I'm reluctant to assume that [Clarke] has automatically got the job and I don't think he assumes that either."

Clarke, 26, has age in his favour as Hussey, 32, is only five months younger than Ponting, who is expected to play for several more years. A handful of younger batsmen have gained captaincy experience at state level including Adam Voges, Marcus North, Cameron White and George Bailey, but whether any of them will reach Test level remains unknown.

Gilchrist said it was a good move to give Clarke some extra responsibility. "It makes sense starting to invest in a few guys for the future," he said. "He has shown a real eagerness to learn all about leadership and enjoyed it in his younger days. He has a thirst to learn about the role and is quite an astute tactical thinker.

"This is a good step in his development. He will learn over time that captaincy involves great responsibilities off the field as well as on it. But he is a smart kid and he looks after himself so he should grow into that."

Ponting's predecessor Steve Waugh also said if Clarke had been earmarked for future leadership then it made sense to hand him the reins for a one-off match. "It gives him a bit of a taste in Twenty20 where the stakes aren't so high, you don't have to make so many crucial decisions," Waugh told the Courier-Mail.

"It gives you a feel for the job so I think it's a pretty good move. It doesn't guarantee you are going to be the next leader but he certainly is the favourite."