Sydney, Feb. 13 : Australian Twenty20 captain Michael Clarke has been ruled out of Sunday''s clash against New Zealand after his back injury played up.

The Australian selectors have called in Victoria''s Rob Quiney as his replacement. Fast bowler Mitchell Johnson will also miss the game due to an ankle injury.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin will lead the team while Cameron White will be his deputy.

"It''s unfortunate that Michael Clarke has been forced to miss the game due to injury," Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said.

Brisbane, Feb. 13: Rain has delayed the start of the final one-day match between Australia and New Zealand, giving a little more time to Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke to go through with a fitness Test.

The covers haven''t been moved off the cricket pitch at the Gabba, increasing the chances of the final match of the series being abandoned and allowing Australia to retain the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy.

Melbourne, Feb. 6 : Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke says he and his young team will relish the challenge of fighting their way out of the mire that they are in now.

After the controversial decision to rest regular skipper Ricky Ponting, Clarke''s two-game stint in charge against New Zealand has started today at the MCG.

Clarke needs to quickly restore confidence to a side on its longest losing streak in more than a decade. Sunday''s loss to the Kiwis in Perth was Australia''s fourth in succession.

Melbourne, Feb. 6 : Cricket Australia has dismissed concerns that Michael Clarke''s physical altercation with Test team mate Simon Katich will affect his long-term captaincy ambitions.

Katich grabbed vice-captain Clarke by the throat in a heated row following the team''s victory in the Sydney Test against South Africa last month.

The altercation was sparked over the singing of the team song, Beneath The Southern Cross, following the win. It was reported that Clarke wanted the song finished early so he could leave to be with fiancée Lara Bingle.

Melbourne, Feb. 6: Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke's desire to spend as much time as possible with his fiancée Lara Bingle is creating heart burn within the team, and rumor mills are agog with reports of him engaged in scraps with mates over the issue.

Reports suggest that so deep are the fissures within the squad; that questions are now being asked whether Clarke is up to the job of leading the side, a position that he has been wanting for most of his cricketing life.

Melbourne, Feb. 5 : Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke has ruled himself out of this year''s Indian Premier League, citing Australia's busy international schedule.

"I won''t be going to the IPL. The most important thing for me is we''ve only got a couple of weeks off; we''ve got a very busy schedule. With me, with my body and time with my family, I want time off this year,'''' Fox Sports quoted Clarke, as saying.

Clarke, however, described the Twenty20 format as wonderful for the development of cricket in the long term, and added he could understand why so many other players did want to play in the Indian competition.