Clarke puts his future in the hands of Australia's selectors Jesse Hogan Nottingham Michael Clarke enjoys a hit in the Nottingham nets on Tuesday.
Picture: Reuters Michael Clarke is forcing the selectors to make a call about his future after the Ashes by making it clear he won't walk away from international cricket no matter what happens in the remaining two Tests.
Clarke insists his plans for his international playing future do not rest on the outcome of the Trent Bridge Test, which starts on Thursday, and which Australia's players are treating as their "grand final". "I'm not retiring," the struggling but defiant captain said on the eve of the match in Nottingham, which Australia must win to preserve their bid to win an Ashes series in England for the first time since 2001. 
Clarke's refusal to contemplate retirement puts the ball firmly in the court of Rod Marsh and his selection panel, forcing them to make a decision on his future and the Australian captaincy if his poor batting form continues at Trent Bridge and the Oval.
It also adds intrigue to the relationship between the captain and the selectors, particularly Marsh and coach Darren Lehmann, which has been strained in the past.
When Australia's players arrived for their pre-match training session on Tuesday morning, Clarke was already more than half- an-hour into throwdowns from batting coach Michael Di Venuto.
But the captain said that had less to do with his batting form than with his general philosophy to training.
"I haven't trained any harder over the past two or three days than I would have done since I took over the captaincy," he said.
"Since I took over the captaincy I have always come to training earlier than everyone else to make sure I get my preparation done before the team arrives. In life the harder you work, the luckier you become. I've got faith I've been working hard enough for long enough that there's a big score around the corner."
While Clarke can't control selection he does set the batting order, and speculation that he would drop down a rung to No.5, where he boasts a superior batting average, was given weight by Clarke's confidant, Shane Warne, predicting it would occur.
Clarke's England counterpart Alastair Cook was asked if it would be a morale boost for the England team to see the Australian demoting himself. Cook said that while he was "sure it will probably get mentioned if he does", he added Clarke would only do "what's best for Australia's side".
Rather than regretting having chosen to bat last week at Edgbaston, after which the team was bowled out within 37 overs, Clarke said he stood by that decision, so much so he would volunteer to bat first on a pitch he expects to be a near replica to the one England skittled them on last week.
"If the wicket is exactly the same at Edgbaston and I win the toss I will bat again," Clarke vowed. "I don't regret batting at Edgbaston.
We just didn't bat well enough."
Australia were poised to keep faith with the pace attack of Mitch Johnson, Mitch Starc and Josh Hazlewood.
The issue of which two of Adam Voges, Mitch Marsh and Shaun Marsh would complete Australia's batting order was clouded by Voges playing only a minor part in their training session on Tuesday due to neck stiffness.