Stokes wants England to `quickly seal` Ashes series on Day three

Nottingham The previous time an Australian captain produced so few runs in an Ashes series Michael Clarke was the beneficiary of it, elevated to one of the most – if not the most – prestigious on-field position in Australian sport.

It would be fitting for a player of Clarke’s stature if he was able to nudge his career average back above 50 in his final stand at The Oval, having slipped below the watermark due to his current struggles. “I am retiring from global cricket”. The fifth Test starts at The Oval, in south London, on August 20. Clarke has been under severe criticism following his personal dip in the form and team’s poor performance in the ongoing Ashes series.

Clarke has played 114 tests and scored over 8,000 runs, including 28 centuries.

“To Michael from the England team, you should be remembered for being a fantastic cricketer, congratulations”, said an emotional England captain Cook. “A lot of the guys made huge developments under him, and you saw a lot of it in this series”, added the England captain.

And he is now on the brink of becoming the first Australian in more than a century to lose four successive Ashes series in England.

Clarke’s terrible form was a decisive factor, with just 117 runs in eight innings this summer making him the weakest link in a soft Australian centre.

Vice-captain Steve Smith is expected to take over from Clarke although there is yet to be any comment from Cricket Australia on either matter.

“I had to change a little bit and be less stubborn than in the past”, he said.

“He’ll know himself if he wants to keep going and if he’s got the hunger for it. He looks like he’s under pressure but that’s understandable with his circumstances and the team’s circumstances”. “I’ll keep the faith, that’s for sure”.

Clarke will captain Melbourne Stars in the upcoming Big Bash League season and is likely to join close friend Shane Warne in the Channel Nine commentary box. It’s time for the next generation. “I don’t care what they ant to say or why they want to blame or whatever”. “I made a decision last (Friday) night after I got home after the day’s play“. I think somebody said they could “see it in my eyes” that I was finished after this series. In each innings the recently elevated No. 3 batsman sought to dictate to the English bowlers, indicated by hitting the second ball he faced in each innings to the boundary, but faced only a total of 12 deliveries for the match after being caught in each innings from lofted drives.