New Delhi : Former Australia skipper Michael Clarke has come out in support of India captain Rohit Sharma's decision to miss out on the Border Gavaskar Trophy series opener due to the birth of his second child.
During the buildup of the series between two Test heavyweights, Rohit's participation in Perth on Friday was up for debate.
Last Saturday, Rohit took to Instagram to announce the birth of his second child. After the news became a hot topic on social media, reports suggested that Rohit is expected to miss the first Test.
While former India captain Sourav Ganguly suggested that Rohit should feature in the opening Test, many stars came out in support of the Indian skipper's decision.
After Australia opener Travis Head, Clark completely agreed and respected Rohit's decision by declaring that family "always" comes first.
"To be honest, the greatest day of my life over any cricket event, over any Test match victory, over captaining Australia. The greatest day of my life was the day when my daughter was born, and being there for that moment was the most special moment of my life," Clarke said while speaking to Revsportz.
"So 100 per cent if I was having my daughter and I had a game of cricket, I love cricket, I love representing my country, and I love captaining Australia, but family always comes first. It has to. So, being there for my little girl, I would do it every day of the week. So I completely respect and agree with Rohit's decision," he added.
Clarke acknowledged that Rohit's hunger to play for India matches his appetite to represent Australia. He knows the Indian skipper will be missed in the first Test but respects his decision.
"I have no doubt that in an ideal world, it would have been great if his second child came a week early or two weeks early so he could play every Test match. Rohit loves playing for India as much as I love playing for Australia. He is a great player and a wonderful captain. He will be missed. But every single person must respect that decision of any man," Clarke noted.