Steve Waugh wants Clarke to stay put at 'successful' No.5 spot

Former Australian captain Steve Waugh has advised current skipper Michael Clarke to stay on at the No.5 place in the batting order, where he has had much success.

Although Clarke has been urged to move up the order in the wake of Australia's continuing top order struggles and the recent 4-0 series flogging in India, Waugh claims it would be wrong to shift Clarke from a position, from which he has even won the Wisden Cricketer of the Year award, News.com.au reports.

Stating that it is irrelevant at what position a player bats in, the Test legend said that the debate on what Clarke's position in the order is unnecessary, adding that Clarke bats well with the tail and in the middle of the order he can control the innings.

According to Waugh, Clarke staying on No.5 is better for the balance of the side as he is comfortable there, adding that a player should not bat in a position which he is not comfortable in even despite others' wishes, as then he starts second guessing himself and would not have the same success as he had like in his original position.

Waugh further said that the important thing for a player is to job well and be aware of whether he is suited for that particular position or not.

According to Waugh, there are different skills for different positions and just because a player is batting at No.5 does not mean that he is not the best batsman in the side, adding that it is the job, not the position of a player, that matters.

Citing the example of former captain Ricky Ponting, Waugh said that Ponting started at No. 6 and did well there but was better suited to the position of number three, which he dominated for so long that he left a generation believing that is a skipper's natural place, adding that different personalities and temperaments determine the position of a batsman.

Waugh further said that if a player does not like to wait, then he should bat in the top order instead of being at No. 5 or 6, adding that in case of players, who like to relax after they have fielded, they should take their position in the middle order and get into the game by watching it.

Waugh and another respected leader of Australia, Allan Border, were both most productive at No.5, with Waugh's average at five was 57 and Border's 53 compared to career averages of 51, the report added.