<p> Australia captain Michael Clarke got his hands on the Reliance ICC Test mace, a symbol of his side’s status as the number-one ranked Test side in the world.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Clarke, who inspired his side to victories over England and South Africa in the past season, received the mace in Brisbane on Wednesday at a training camp for the upcoming season. This is the first time since August 2009 that the mace is in the possession of Australia. After receiving the mace, a delighted Clarke said: “Having the mace back on Australian soil is something that brings us a great amount of pride.<br /><br />“It is a great achievement by everyone involved with the team – our support staff, our families, the staff at Cricket Australia and our fans who have supported us through a couple of really tough years. “For me personally, as captain, this is an incredibly satisfying achievement and one of the proudest moments of my career.”<br /><br />Clarke believed Test cricket remained the ultimate challenge for any cricketer. “Test cricket truly is a ‘test’. It requires stamina, skill, patience, fitness and the ability to adapt to different conditions and opponents. It is still the purest form of cricket and I don’t think there would be a young cricketer in this country that wouldn’t want to represent Australia and wear the Baggy Green in a Test match,” said Clarke. <br />Australia achieved the number-one position after the annual update of the Test Team Rankings on May 1. </p>
<p> Australia captain Michael Clarke got his hands on the Reliance ICC Test mace, a symbol of his side’s status as the number-one ranked Test side in the world.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Clarke, who inspired his side to victories over England and South Africa in the past season, received the mace in Brisbane on Wednesday at a training camp for the upcoming season. This is the first time since August 2009 that the mace is in the possession of Australia. After receiving the mace, a delighted Clarke said: “Having the mace back on Australian soil is something that brings us a great amount of pride.<br /><br />“It is a great achievement by everyone involved with the team – our support staff, our families, the staff at Cricket Australia and our fans who have supported us through a couple of really tough years. “For me personally, as captain, this is an incredibly satisfying achievement and one of the proudest moments of my career.”<br /><br />Clarke believed Test cricket remained the ultimate challenge for any cricketer. “Test cricket truly is a ‘test’. It requires stamina, skill, patience, fitness and the ability to adapt to different conditions and opponents. It is still the purest form of cricket and I don’t think there would be a young cricketer in this country that wouldn’t want to represent Australia and wear the Baggy Green in a Test match,” said Clarke. <br />Australia achieved the number-one position after the annual update of the Test Team Rankings on May 1. </p>