'It is a great opportunity to prepare for the T20 World Cup'

Australia's new Twenty20 captain Michael Clarke says he is willing to learn new tricks to ensure the team's number one position in this format of the game as well.

State team members get to play a lot more T20 than national team members because of a busy summer schedule that leaves the elite unable to compete in the BigBash tournament, although CA hopes to eventually get Australia's top men to into the BigBash each January.

Clarke's new Australian T20 deputy, Victorian skipper Cameron White, has played twice as many provincial and international T20 matches (50) as Clarke.

White's international T20 batting average (41.40 in eight games) is twice as good as Clarke's (19.63 in 19 matches). Clarke has never played Twenty20 for NSW.

Clarke, recovering from a back injury which has kept him out of the first few matches of Australia's seven one-dayers in India at the least, admits he has to lift his performances in the shortest format.

"If the timing is right, if my body is healthy and I'm feeling good and a team wants me, it could be a great opportunity to prepare for what's going to be a huge Twenty20 World Cup.

"I'll be looking to Cameron White as vice-captain and a lot of the other senior players who have played a lot more Twenty20 cricket than me," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Clarke, as saying