A dejected Michael Clarke, in Sydney, on Friday. (Getty Images)

Calcutta/Sydney: Distraught after the humiliating Ashes loss to England, Australia’s T20 captain Michael Clarke, Saturday, quit cricket’s shortest format to revive his batting which was a major disappointment during the doomed campaign.

Australia lost the Ashes 1-3 after going down by an innings and 83 runs in the fifth and final Test here Saturday.

“I’m retiring from international T20 cricket and looking back on this series my Test cricket isn’t where I want it at the moment,” Clarke said.

“So, I guess that gives me the opportunity now to focus wholly and solely on Test and one-day cricket and to use that time to play more domestic and first-class cricket for NSW and become a better Test player, he added.

Clarke captained the side here after regular skipper Ricky Ponting was ruled out due to injury. The 29-year-old said he has not proved to be much of a success in T20.

“My T20 performances haven’t been that great so it made my decision easier, but my main focus is to firstly become a better Test cricketer and also to help the team as the vice-captain, do whatever I can to help this team turn it around,” said Clarke.

“It’s probably happened because of these five Test matches, probably because of my performances in these five Test matches. Clarke said he firmly believed that he could not thrive in all three formats of the game. In 34 T20s for Australia, Clarke averaged 21.21 with a strike-rate of 103.17.

“It’s very individual because I’m certain there are players who can play all three forms of the game,” he said.

“I’m probably not one of them, I’ve worked out that for me to be the best Test cricketer I can be, the best one-day cricketer I can be I need to focus on those two forms,” Clarke added.

Meanwhile, England fast bowler James Anderson will be rested for England’s T20 series against Australia and the first three one-day Internationals of the seven-match series, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said in a statement on Friday.

Steve Finn will remain with the squad in Anderson’s absence before joining the England Lions tour of the West Indies.

Also England wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter has been ruled out of the T20s because he needs surgery on an abscess. Batsman Michael Lumb will replace his fellow World Twenty20-squad winner against Australia.