Australia need to forget the hype in big year - Clarke

Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke watches the international rugby union match between Australia and France at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane June 7, 2014. REUTERS/Jason O'Brien

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A test series against India, a World Cup on home soil and a much-anticipated Ashes campaign will put Australia's cricketers under heavy scrutiny over the next year, but the team need to make themselves oblivious to the hype, according to captain Michael Clarke.

"Obviously, this is the start of a huge period in all our cricketing lives," Clarke wrote in a column for News Ltd on Sunday, as Australia kick off their United Arab Emirates tour against Pakistan.