Clarke’s choice for next Australia Test captain

The question of who should succeed Tim Paine as Australia's next Test captain is not even a debate for former skipper Michael Clarke.

The leadership situation reared its head this week when Matthew Wade served as stand-in skipper ahead of Steve Smith during Australia's second Twenty20 against India.

While some believe Smith should be reinstated to the captaincy he lost after the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal when Paine retires, Clarke says Pat Cummins has to be Australia's leader in all formats.

The fast bowler was recently elevated to sole vice-captain of the Test team, a move welcomed by Clarke as it will allow the 27-year-old to develop his leadership under Paine and limited overs captain Aaron Finch.

"Patty's ready for it. I love that they've given him the full-time vice-captaincy," Clarke told AAP.

"Right now I think Finchy is doing a great job, Painey is doing a great job, so that gives Pat Cummins the opportunity to learn and watch and sit back and and see how he feels about that role and experience a few different things.

"Hopefully he gets an opportunity along the way to captain in certain games, whether it be Australia A or whether it be a tour game, whatever it is, which I'm sure he will."

If Cummins is the man who succeeds Paine, it will be a decision out of step with Australian cricketing history.

Ray Lindwall, for one Test in India in 1956, is the last fast bowler to captain Australia.

Clarke, however, has no issue with the leadership being in the hands of a paceman.

"Not at all. These days there's so much cricket. Batsmen get injured. Bowlers get injured. Guys are going to be rested," he said.

"For me it's the right person for the job that's the most important, not whether you're a batter or bowler."

Vodafone Test Series v India 2020-21

Australia Test squad: Tim Paine (c), Sean Abbott, Joe Burns, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade, David Warner

India Test squad: Virat Kohli (c) (first Test only), Ajinkya Rahane (vice-captain), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Hanuma Vihari, Shubman Gill, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Siraj

First Test: December 17-21, Adelaide Oval, 3pm AEDT (day-night)

Second Test: December 26-30, MCG, 10.30am AEDT

Third Test: January 7-11, SCG, 10.30am AEDT

Fourth Test: January 15-19, Gabba, 11am AEDT