Clark volunteers for tough dual role

Stuart Clark has put his hand up for the two most challenging jobs in the Australian one-day team at next month's World Cup - bowling in the Powerplays and at the end of the innings. Clark, originally left out of the 15-man squad for the World Cup, was recalled as injured Brett Lee's replacement and has urged selectors to pitch him into the most exposed positions in Australia's bowling rotation.

Australia's bowlers were battered by New Zealand's batsmen in the recent Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series. They took a total of just 13 wickets while conceding two of the three biggest run chases in one-day history - 336 at Auckland and 346 at Hamilton - in crashing to a disastrous series sweep on grounds similar in size to those Australia will experience in the Caribbean.

But Clark is relishing the challenge. "I'm OK with that," Clark told The Sydney Morning Herald. "I've got better at bowling in the Powerplays and at the end, and that's what I'll be looking to do when I'm over there. I don't expect the new ball. I don't expect any favours. It's a tough role to fill. I think they did a job over there [in New Zealand].

"Unfortunately, the scores didn't reflect that. Obviously, I've done it a little bit, and maybe I've done it more than a few of the other guys. But you're going to find that no matter who does it, you're going to find they're going to go for runs. It's a matter of being proficient at it and achieving the best result."

Though Clark's economy-rate was a factor in his original omission from the side, having conceded 5.45 runs an over during the CB Series in Australia, he wants to handle the pressure of bowling on flat Caribbean wickets and on grounds with short boundaries.

"I'm looking forward [to] going over there to do everything I can and it would be nice to do well. But we all know just how tough the one-day game is. Everything that happens in one-day cricket is designed for the batters, and that's fine. The bowlers expect that. The World Cup is going to be hard work for all the bowlers. The grounds are smaller and the wickets are flat and designed for batsmen."

Within hours of being called up to the World Cup squad, Clark - who has taken 35 wickets in 24 ODIs at 31.86 - was in the Sydney Cricket Ground nets working on a slower delivery. Clark is confident he has addressed the problems that led to his axing before the finals of the tri-series finals this summer against England, which Australia lost 2-0. "We worked on a slow ball, but it won't happen in the next 24 hours," he said. "I'll be doing the best I can over the next couple of weeks to try to come up with a plan that may work [in the West Indies].