GEO 436 SYDNEY: Michael Clarke was Monday retained as skipper of Australia’’s Twenty20 squad for July’’s series with Pakistan in England despite his below-par batting performances in T20 cricket. Clarke admitted his place in the team was under threat after a poor run of form continued in a seven-wicket World T20 final loss to England in Barbados earlier this month. Clarke’’s top score was just 27 in the Caribbean tournament and he ended the event with 92 runs at a meagre average of 15.33. But selectors Monday stayed with Clarke as skipper of a 14-man squad to play Pakistan in two T20 internationals at Edgbaston on July 5 and 6. Wicketkeeper Tim Paine was dropped from Australia’’s squad which played in the West Indies. “Paine has been omitted since the selectors felt it wasn”t necessary to have a second keeping option for such a small number of matches,” Hilditch said. “While it was disappointing to lose the ICC World Twenty20 final, Australia has made great progress in Twenty20 cricket in the last 12 months, winning an extremely high percentage of our games and of course being the only undefeated side in the tournament until the final.” Opener Shaun Marsh was selected in the national one-day squad to play in England and Ireland in June-July, replacing fellow West Australian Adam Voges, after recovering from injury. Ricky Ponting will lead the ODI team after standing down from T20 cricket. The Australian squad for Tests against Pakistan at Lord’’s and Headingley in July will be chosen late next month.
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