Clarke and Bracken return

Michael Clarke and Nathan Bracken will be back in the ranks alongside captain Ricky Ponting tomorrow

Michael Clarke and Nathan Bracken will return to the Australia side for the fifth and final one-day international against South Africa in Perth tomorrow, with Shaun Tait rested and Cameron White losing his spot.

Both Clarke (thumb) and Bracken (calf) have overcome niggling injuries that have kept them out and Australia skipper Ricky Ponting believes the experienced duo are necessary inclusions as Australia look to gather some pride after losing the series in Adelaide last Sunday.

"Both Tait and White are obviously unlucky not to be playing," Ponting said after meeting with Australia selector David Boon today.

"I think White did a good job with the bat down in Adelaide last week and I think Taity's bowling at different times has been terrific as well.

"But obviously with Bracken and Michael Clarke coming back in, two of our more experienced and two of our better players, we had to make room for them somewhere."

Ponting said it was a tough choice between Victoria team-mates White and David Hussey for the final all-rounder's position.

"I think David Hussey deserves his opportunity and place in the side," he said.

"His bowling for us has been reasonable at different times as well, so we're going to have to make up 10 overs between Michael Clarke and David Hussey and that's probably what's got David across the line.

All-rounder David Hussey has been picked ahead of Cameron White for the fifth ODI in Perth

"We just think our overall balance is probably better with the side that way."

Ponting said 2007 World Cup hero Tait was being rested but denied the tearaway quick had suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury.

The 25-year-old was forced to leave the field during the loss in Adelaide on Sunday night, although he did return to complete his allotted overs.

"It's not that ongoing hamstring, it was just a cramp," Ponting added.

"He explained things to me pretty well yesterday about that; he said he was that nervous playing at home in front of his home crowd, that he struggled to get a lot of food in before the game.

"So he just felt that might have been why he cramped."

Despite the cramp, Ponting said it was vital Tait's workload be managed properly as he will be one of the bowlers in contention to replace Stuart Clark, who was ruled out of the return series in South Africa having failed to recover from an elbow problem.

"He's (Tait) had a very limited preparation coming back into our Twenty20 team," Ponting said.

"It's about getting his overs and his workload right now and trying to look after him and his body as well as we can, so that's the reason behind him not playing.

"We see Shaun as being a very long-term prospect. So coming off the preparation that he came off this time, we need to look after him and mange his as well as we can."