January 15, 2009

AUSTRALIA batsman Michael Clarke has passed a fitness test and will play against South Africa in Friday's first one-day international match at the MCG.

Clarke passed a fitness test on his injured right thumb at training on Thursday, including a couple of net sessions, after missing the two Twenty20 matches.

"He'll be fine to play," captain Ricky Ponting said.

"He completed all his training well today, he's still got a fair bit of discomfort in his thumb but he's had since the first Test match (in December) and got through pretty well.

"So it's a good sign for us that he's fit for selection."

Clarke's inclusion means young gun David Warner has been released from the Australian squad, and that he can play for NSW against Victoria in Saturday night's Twenty20 match in Sydney.

Australia are yet to finalise their XI and will decide on Friday whether to include specialist spinner Nathan Hauritz or play another all-rounder.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin will also return after a rest, and Queensland all-rounder Ryan Harris is the only member of the squad ruled out at this point.

Friday's match will provide a good gauge on the public's attitude towards the 50-over game, given the popularity of the Twenty20 matches at the MCG and Gabba.

But Ponting was certain the 50-over game was still relevant.

"I've got no concerns about the 50-over game," he said.

"We understand how big Twenty20 has been for the last couple of years now and how exciting it is for the public and for players.

"But that's behind us now, we've got to focus on the (one-day) series starting tomorrow.

"We've played some good cricket over the last week in the Twenty20 stuff, the energy and enthusiasm of some of the young guys around our squad has been terrific.

"We've got a very flexible squad, a lot of versatility around the group at the moment, which is a massive bonus for 50-over cricket.

"So everything's heading in the right direction as far as our 50-over cricket is concerned, and hopefully we can start the series off on the right note tomorrow."