'He sees the game how a captain needs to' – Clarke backs Cummins to become Australia's all-format captain

Clarke praised Tim Paine for doing a "wonderful job" as Australia Test captain, especially after taking over from Steve Smith in the aftermath of the ball-tampering scandal, but said Australia "need one captain across all three formats" and that Cummins should take over across formats once Paine hangs up his boots.

"Tim Paine's done a wonderful job, there's no doubt about it. He's earned the right to continue to captain Australia until it's time for him to retire," Clarke said on Big Sports Breakfaston Sky Sports. "Tim is 35, and I imagine he will be thinking about that after this Australian summer. If Australia can win there (during a home series against India) that's an ideal time for Tim to walk away on top."

Clarke went on to explain why he thought Cummins, the top-ranked bowler in MRF Tyres ICC Test Rankings, was ideal for the role. "Cummins reads the game really well," he said. "Yes, he's an opening bowler, but he can bat. He's brilliant in the field. He sees the game how a captain needs to.

"There's always been a lot of talk about a bowler being captain, and generally that's because the bowlers get injured. Pat has shown that he's fit, he's healthy, he can play all three formats. His body has now matured into a position where he'll be on the pitch as much as any batsman."

Clarke's statement comes less than a month before Smith will become eligible again to lead Australia, following the two-year leadership ban imposed on him by Cricket Australia. He said he doesn't subscribe to the conventional belief that the best player has to be the captain.

“In Australia, we have a sense of the best player needs to be the captain," said Clarke. "I don’t agree with that. I think the best captain needs to be the captain. Steve Smith is Australia’s best batsman, but I don’t necessarily think he is the right man to captain Australia."