Absent Clarke picked for Test series

One of the brightest prospects in Australia, Steven Smith struck 124 against Victoria and followed with 177 in Hobart

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Vice-captain Michael Clarke has been named in Australia’s Test squad for the tour of New Zealand despite returning home during the current one-day international series due to personal reasons.

Clarke returned to Australia just before the third match of the ODI series yesterday with his fiancee Lara Bingle at the centre of a much-publicised nude-photo scandal.

Cricket Australia have admitted they are still unsure whether the 28-year-old right-hander will return for the two-Test series, which begins in Wellington on March 19, but have named him in a 14-man squad that includes uncapped leg-spinner Steven Smith.

“I'm hoping he'll be there, but he hasn't given me a drop-dead date,” CA deputy chief Michael Brown said of Clarke’s possible return to New Zealand.

“I'm hoping to talk and see him later today, we need to address those issues because Andrew (Hilditch, chairman of selectors) has a team to run, but we also respect that he needs time.

“He only just got home and we want to give him time to make the right decisions.

“There's no point in forcing any player to go back into a cricket team when he's not comfortable, because the team won't be comfortable to have him, and that's the message the captain has given me.

“Ricky (Ponting) wants Michael back 100 per cent committed to cricket and that’s when he wants him back.”

The selection of Smith continues the 20-year-old’s rapid rise to prominence after he made his Australia debut in last month’s Twenty20 encounter against Pakistan in Melbourne.

The leg-spinner has been touted as Australia’s brightest slow-bowling prospect and has shown his form with the bat in the Sheffield Shield this season, highlighted by his 177 against Tasmania last week.

"Steve Smith has had an excellent Shield season, including a big century against Tasmania recently, and of course has already demonstrated his ability to cope with the pressure of international cricket," Hilditch said.

“He adds great flexibility to the squad with his exciting stroke-play, leg-spin bowling and gifted fielding.”

Uncapped 30-year-old seamer Ryan Harris was also called up following his impressive summer in the shorter formats to join a pace attack that is without injured duo Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus and the recently-retired Brett Lee.

Opener Phillip Hughes will get another chance to impress while the selectors have kept faith in Marcus North, whose place in the middle of the order has come under increasing scrutiny after a poor run of form.

Australia Test squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke (vice-captain), Doug Bollinger, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, Ryan Harris, Phillip Hughes, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Clint McKay, Marcus North, Steven Smith, Shane Watson.