Clarke slams covering, practice facilities

Australia captain Michael Clarke criticised the state of covering at English grounds as the row over Tuesday's Twenty20 wash-out at Old Trafford rumbled on.

The match was abandoned, without a ball being bowled, primarily because the umpires ruled that a wet patch had made the bowlers' run-ups at one end unsafe.

Australia pace great Jeff Thomson labelled the players "soft" for not going ahead with the game but Clarke, speaking to reporters at the Oval on Thursday where a seven-match one-day series starts on Friday, said: "Weather seems to be the biggest concern over here in England, whether it be overs lost or games being cancelled.

"Maybe the covering system of grounds is something the counties can continue to look at. The wicket is the first priority, trying to keep that dry, but second to that are the bowlers' run-ups.

"Both ends were just not up to scratch. That's the main reason why I believe the umpires didn't see the grounds fit."

Friday's match will be Australia's first at the Oval since England's 197-run fifth Test win last month secured the Ashes series 2-1.

But, as was the case then, players will be denied the use of the indoor net practice facilities which have been turned into a corporate hospitality area.

"I can guarantee you personally that I'm disappointed about that," Clarke said. "I used the bowling machine in the indoor nets as my preparation throughout the whole Test series.

"I guess it's no coincidence why I didn't make any runs here. There was a bit of my preparation I didn't get the chance to do."

But given that Clarke was caught at short extra-cover for three and then run out in freakish fashion for a duck during the Test, it was hard to see how more time batting against the bowling machine would have helped his cause.

Meanwhile Clarke dismissed talk of this series being a comedown after Australia's 2-1 Ashes loss.

"It's probably the complete opposite, because we didn't get the result we wanted. So I see more reason to get out here and have a really good one-day series so we leave England with some positives.

"Winning this series is pretty important. We've got the ICC Champions Trophy coming up in South Africa straight after this tournament."

Regular Australia captain Ricky Ponting is missing the start of this series because he is resting at home after the Ashes and coach Tim Nielsen will miss the final three matches in order to take a break before the Champions Trophy.

Clarke defended Nielsen's right to take a break by saying: "He's been away from home for a long time. There's going to be various times throughout everybody's career when they need a bit of time away from the game.

"To give him a week off is the least we can do."

Australia go into this series without wicket-keeper Brad Haddin, who also opens in one-dayers, because of a finger injury.

But Clarke said reserve gloveman Tim Paine could open in Haddin's place.

"Tim Paine opened the batting in the Australia A games recently and was really successful, James Hopes has played at the top of the order. We've got some options. I don't think I'll be up there, but you never know."