England thrash Aussies in third TestClarke the odd man outDay three - ball-by-ball coverage
BIRMINGHAM: Michael Clarke maintains he is "not at all" considering his future behind this Ashes series but in a ruthless self-assessment says his dire form has left Australia effectively playing with "only 10" men.
Australia are 2-1 behind after an eight-wicket defeat to England completed on Friday and will on Sunday travel to the site of the fourth Test, Nottingham, with much to consider, needing to win both remaining matches to triumph in the series and knowing a loss at either Trent Bridge or the Oval will surrender the Ashes. 
A principal concern is their shaky middle order, at the heart of it Clarke, who with 94 runs at 18.8 in this series is out of sorts to say the least. 
At 34, however, he insists he is not near the end. Asked whether his form in England had led him to think about how long he would play on beyond this series he replied emphatically: "Not at all".
Clarke was then probed further about whether he felt he still warranted his place in the XI.
"Yes, I am 100 per cent confident," he said. "My self-belief is still there and that's because I continued to work as hard as I have throughout my career. For me to have success, it's always been about my preparation and working hard. That gives me my best chance. At the end of the day, you can only do your best. While I keep doing the preparation I'm doing, I believe I can have success out in the middle."
It's likely that Adam Voges, who has only 73 runs at 14.6 in the Ashes, will be the fall guy for Australia's batting woes but Clarke was not looking to divert attention away from his own issues.   
"I am more concerned about my form," he said. "When you bat at No.4 in an international cricket team you have to make sure you lead the way and make runs. If I make runs I am sure Vogesy will follow.
"I think it's always going to be hard to beat any opposition when they've got 11 and we've got only 10. At the moment that's how it feels. With my performances so far I certainly haven't led from the front like I'd like to do as captain. I've always made that very clear. That's a big part of my role as leader of this team, that I'm scoring plenty of runs and leading by example."
Clarke said he would wait and see what team was selected at Trent Bridge before considering any tweaks to the batting order and whether he may shift himself down to No.5.
"Statistically, it shows that I have performed a lot better at No.5 than No.4 but it's not like I have walked in at 2-10 throughout this series," he said. "I think out whole top order has done a really good job.
"The number is irrelevant. It is about what's best for the team. If the team need me to bat at four I will bat at four, if the team needs me to bat at five I will bat at five. A lot of that will be dictated by the XI the selectors give me."
Clarke's friend Shane Warne said in commentary on Friday that he could be best served by taking a few days' break between now and the fourth Test, which starts on Thursday. That is not the style of the meticulous captain, though. He is more likely to be found in a training net somewhere in the coming days, furiously trying to relocate his mojo. 
"It's a tough balance and I have spoken to Warney about it," Clarke said. "(For) a lot of players it helps them to have time away. I think of someone like Ricky Ponting, who used to go and play a week of golf then walk onto the field and make a 100 without picking up a bat at training.
"That's never really been me and that was the reason I played (in the tour match) at Derby (before the third Test). The selectors asked me if I wanted to have that game off but I wanted to go to make sure I could do my training and have a bat as well.
"The next few days will be about balance ... when I am not training, trying to get away from the game and clear my head but training is still a big part. That is what has given me the success I have had throughout my career. I have stuck to it to date and don't think I will change now."