Australian Poll doesn't favour Clarke as Captain

Michael Clarke has not found favour with the Australian public as the replacement for Ricky Ponting for the final Ashes Test.

After Clarke was chosen to replace Ponting on the hot seat, a popular newspaper poll showed only eight per cent of the respondents favoured the appointment.

Another poll conducted before the Ashes showed that 74 per cent of the respondents did not want Vice-captain Clarke to succeed Ricky Ponting as the Aussie skipper.

Clarke, it seems, has taken the disapproval in his stride.

"I think it's part and parcel of what we do now," Clarke said. "As a professional cricketer these days, you spend a lot of the time in the media. I've copped a lot of criticism throughout my whole career; it's no different now."

Clarke said recently in a magazine article: "You wish everybody liked you, but not everyone's going to. I don't know and will never find out what it is that made people criticise me. I only have to stay true to myself and true to how my parents brought me up. I know I'm not trying to be anyone other than myself."

Clarke's deputy for the Sydney Test, Brad Haddin will handle the pressure "The reaction from the public changes week to week. You are one good innings away or sometimes one good cover drive away from the support being with you," Haddin said.