Warne no longer plays one-day cricket and concentrates on the Test format, where he is the leading all-time wicket-taker.

"It's a tradition that hasn't really happened in cricket and I wanted to be the first guy," Warne said.

"It's pretty simple. I love the way he plays the game. He entertains the crowd, the crowd likes watching him play," Warne said of Clarke ahead of Sunday's inaugural Chappell-Hadlee Trophy one-day international with New Zealand in Melbourne.

"There's nothing he has to live up to, I don't believe in that stuff, it's just a tradition I wanted to start."

The 35-year-old leg-spinner said since his retirement from the one-day game it was proving physically less demanding to play only for the Test side, plus he could spend more time with his family and turn out more often for Victoria.

Two seasons ago, Warne needed surgery after landing heavily on his shoulder while fielding off his own bowling during a one-day international.

"If people didn't believe me for the last 18 months or two years that I've retired, hopefully they do now," he said on Saturday.

"Of course I'd love to keep playing one-day cricket, but I'm smart enough to realise if I continue to play both forms of the game, then I don't think I can play for another three years of Test cricket, as I'd like to do."

Warne, who holds the world record for Test wickets of 552 just ahead of Sri Lankan rival Muttiah Muralitharan, announced on the eve of the 2003 World Cup that he would quit one-dayers after the tournament.

He missed the event, however, for failing a drugs Test and was banned for 12 months up to February 2004.

Warne is Australia's leading one-day wicket-taker with 291 wickets at an average of 25.82 in 193 matches. He is eighth on the all-time list.

Clarke said he was humbled by Warne's gesture.

"Obviously, it's a privilege and honour to receive that from Warney, he's a fantastic guy and has been a great cricketer for so long," he said.

Australia confirmed speedster Brett Lee would return to international cricket on Sunday after leaving out Simon Katich and Jason Gillespie.

TEAMS
AUSTRALIA: Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hogg, Michael Kasprowicz, Brett Lee, Darren Lehmann, Damien Martyn, Andrew Symonds, Shane Watson (Jason Gillespie or Simon Katich 12th man).

NEW ZEALAND: Stephen Fleming (captain), Nathan Astle, Mathew Sinclair, Scott Styris, Hamish Marshall, Chris Cairns, Jacob Oram, Brendon McCullum, Daniel Vettori, Kyle Mills, Ian Butler.