Wellington: Vice-captain Michael Clarke has been included in Australia's Test squad only two days after quitting a tour of New Zealand for personal reasons and returning to his Sydney home.
Clarke, 28, left the team hotel on Monday on the eve of its third one-day international against New Zealand at Hamilton to be with his partner.
"Michael has arrived home to support Lara through this difficult time," Clarke's manager, Chris White, said Tuesday. At the time there was speculation over whether Clarke would be included in the team for the two Test matches in New Zealand starting later this month.
Selectors confirmed his place on Wednesday. Clarke's fiancée, Australian model Lara Bingle, recently announced she would sue former boyfriend and Australian Rules football player Brendan Fevola over nude photographs of her allegedly taken during their relationship that were later distributed without her permission.
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Bingle, 22, said she was humiliated by the photo's publication and was suing the footballer to restore her "dignity and self respect".
Cricket Australia named Tasmania's George Bailey as Clarke's replacement for the remainder of the five-match, limited-overs series and delayed naming the Test squad by a day.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting said Clarke had the full support of the national team.
"He knows from all of us within the team that he has got all the support that he needs," Ponting said. "The last thing that I said to him last night before he left was for him to take as much time as he needed and hopefully we can do the right thing over here and win the series without him."
