Ashes 2013: Michael Clarke could retire in next 12 months, reckons ABC's Jim Maxwell

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Sorry, this video has expired Video: England takes emphatic win in second Ashes Test (ABC News)

Grandstand commentator Jim Maxwell believes Australian cricket may be thrown into further turmoil with the possible retirement of captain Michael Clarke from Test cricket within the next 12 months.

Maxwell made the comments during Australia's dismal day four performance as England took a 2-0 Ashes series lead thanks to a 347-run win at Lord's.

Clarke made 51 in the second innings but it was far from enough to stop the tourists collapsing to 235 all out giving England a 347-run victory with a full day's play to spare.

The writing was already on the wall for a convincing loss when Australia was dismissed for 128 on day two, an innings in which Clarke was second-highest scorer at 28.

A back injury had sidelined Clarke, 32, for several months and he only returned to the playing field in the pre-Ashes warm-up against Somerset, just over a week before the first Ashes Test which the tourists lost by 14 runs.

Recent revelations of a poisonous relationship between Clarke and former deputy Shane Watson, revealed in court documents submitted by sacked national coach Mickey Arthur, have also added to the pressure on the captain's shoulders.

And commentator Maxwell says any revival in Australian cricket could be a long way off, with signs pointing towards a retirement from Test cricket for the side's star batsman.

With this side it's going to be a long process before it's turned around, and while that's happening, somewhere in the next 12 months I would think Michael Clarke will probably retire. Grandstand's Jim Maxwell

"With this side it's going to be a long process before it's turned around, and while that's happening, somewhere in the next 12 months I would think Michael Clarke will probably retire," he said.

"He's indicated for some time that he would not play it like [Ricky] Ponting or [Michael] Hussey until his late 30s, that more than likely he'll go out at some stage while he's still on top.

"His back may have something to do with that decision."

Maxwell says changes are imminent for a struggling side that faces the prospect of an Ashes whitewash in England as well a chance of a similar hammering on Australian soil.

"Can you think how tough this will be, for anyone connected with this side who's been around for a while, to still be part of it?" Maxwell said.

"If they get hammered in this series and Australia gets hammered again at home, there'll have to be changes."

Clarke admits Australia outplayed at Lord's

Clarke has not managed to hit the heights of a stellar 2012 Test season where he amassed 1,595 runs in 11 Tests at an average of 106.33.

... everyone in our top seven has scored a 50, so guys can perform no doubt, we have just got to do it more consistently. Michael Clarke

Having finally recovered from his back complaint, his return to the side has failed to prop up an ailing top and middle order which was horribly exposed in the second Test drubbing.

"I don't want to take any credit away from England, I thought they outplayed us in all facets of the game," Clarke told Grandstand at the end of day four.

"But in saying that, when you look at our batting, we've lost two or three wickets in clumps throughout this Test match in both innings."

But Clarke remains bullish of an Ashes reversal in fortune, saying the batting line-up has the latent talent to overturn England's 2-0 series lead.

"Throughout the Test series I think everyone in our top seven has scored a 50, so guys can perform no doubt, we have just got to do it more consistently," Clarke said.

"We need to continue to put more value on our wickets, I think England has shown us that batting for long periods, runs will naturally come and a lot of us have been out to poor shot selection, and not having the discipline, to be willing to bat for long periods.

"We've got plenty of talent in this group, we've got to make sure that we're performing - that question is probably for the selectors, not for me."

Topics: ashes, cricket, sport, england, australia

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