'In form' Michael Clarke says 'dark days' motivated him to greater heights

Australia captain Michael Clarke, who is currently in the form of his life after scoring four double centuries this year, has said he has not forgotten the not-so-distant dark days when he could hardly scrape together a score in double figures, and added those days motivated him to achieve great feats.

"I remember playing England in the Australian summer two years ago and I couldn't make a run so when you're scoring runs you want to cash in, and that's what I'm trying to do," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Clarke, as saying.

With the Australian captain in unstoppable stride, it is difficult to even summon the image of him in battler mode as he was in the home Ashes defeat to England of 2010-11, averaging 21 with not 200 runs in nine innings.

"The downside to this great game is when you're not [in form], you find it really hard to make your next run," Clarke said.

"That happens through your career and that's happened a lot for me. I got dropped [in 2005], I remember when I came back from getting dropped I said, 'I want to make the most of the good days' and that's what I feel I'm doing," he added.

"I feel like when I'm getting in I'm trying to cash in because I know there'll be some tough days around the corner again," he said.