Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke is expected to be named in the Test squad to face New Zealand despite the continuing dramas surrounding his fiancee Lara Bingle.
Clarke's dramatic exit from the limited-overs segment of thetour was the talk of the nation on Tuesday, highlighting theintrusion of the personal on his professional life and castingsomething of a shadow over his seemingly inevitable ascension tothe Test captaincy.
As of Tuesday evening, Clarke was unsure of when he would bere-joining the team, though he is understandably keen to get backin time to take part in the Test series.
The first Test begins at Wellington's Basin Reserve from March19.
"Michael has arrived home to support Lara through this difficulttime," his manager Chris White said.
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The announcement of the squad to play two Tests against theKiwis had been pencilled in for Tuesday, before Clarke's unexpected dash home to Sydney from New Zealand put matters on hold.
Clarke's exit from New Zealand was so hurried that some of histeammates were unaware he had left, having spoken only to seniorfigures including captain Ricky Ponting and coach Tim Nielsen.
"He has gone home sorting out some personal stuff. Most of the players found out last night or this morning," Ponting said after Australia claimed a six-wicket win in Hamilton and 2-1 lead in the five-match Chappell-Hadlee series.
"You're always going to miss your vice-captain, a guy who hasplayed 170-odd (173) games and your number four batsman.
"He knows from all of us within the team that he has got all thesupport that he needs.
"The last thing that I said to him last night before he left wasfor him to take as much time as he needed and hopefully we can dothe right thing over here and win the series without him."
Bingle's only public actions on Tuesday were to post the message
"Wish you were here..." on the social networking site Twitterbefore she was seen flipping the bird to camera crews hoveringaround the couple's Bondi apartment in mid-afternoon.
The episode followed on from legal action Bingle has decided totake against her former love interest Brendan Fevola, the AFLplayer who took a nude photo of her during a brief relationshipthat has since circulated widely among footballers and beenpublished in a women's magazine.
Former Australian batsman Mark Waugh said Clarke was forging adelicate path between the personal and the professional, and saidfurther episodes such as this would not enhance his standing.
"He's had to leave the tour, so (his personal life) hasencroached on his cricket. That's not the way you want to beplaying your cricket and living your life," Waugh toldfoxsports.com.au.
"It is difficult being a high-profile sportsman having ahigh-profile partner.
"It is not easy for anybody, and negative publicity has got toaffect you at some stage.
"When it's your wife or partner involved, it's difficult tohandle. Hopefully there's not too many more dramas in the future."
Tasmanian George Bailey, meanwhile, was named as the limitedovers replacement for Clarke.
Bailey is expected to be available for the final two ODI gamesagainst New Zealand on Thursday in Auckland and in Wellington two days later.
