Michael Clarke likens Alex Doolan to Mark Waugh, backs Shaun Marsh to perform in South Africa Michael Clarke at a function for his sponsor Spartan. MICHAEL Clarke has likened Alex Doolan to Mark Waugh as a stylist and believes that Shaun Marsh's one-day record highlights he can play at international level. Doolan fell away after a strong start to the Sheffield Shield season for Tasmania and Marsh has a poor recent record for Western Australia but Clarke insists they both have what it takes to match it against South Africa's imposing pace attack next month. "We've seen that from Shaun in the limited overs format," Clarke said after opening the new offices of his bat sponsor Spartan, a refurbished 1890s master gunners quarters at the old military base in Sydney's Mosman. I've seen Alex Doolan bat a few times. He looks extremely classy, he's got a lot of Mark Waugh about him. I saw him make 132 against NSW for Tasmania in a Shield game earlier this season and he certainly impressed me in that game. Doolan, 28, or Marsh, 30, will replace the dropped George Bailey in next month's three-Test series against South Africa. A batting reshuffle is likely to take place, with one expected to bat at number three while Shane Watson moves down to number six in Bailey's old spot. Clarke's strongest memories of Marsh include the Test century he made on debut in Sri Lanka two and a half years ago, 141. In the following series against South Africa in Cape Town Marsh was batting well until he suffered a debilitating back injury. "He got 44 and looked very good on a pretty tough wicket," Clarke recalled. Alex Doolan (L) has received a big rap from Michael Clarke. What sticks in my mind is the hundred he scored in Sri Lanka and the success he's had in limited overs cricket. He can certainly play at this level. The contrast between Marsh's Shield and one-day international record is telling. From 43 one-dayers going into last night's match in Perth he averaged better than 40 and had scored three hundreds but his past six Shield seasons have produced just three centuries. Indeed, during the past three seasons Marsh's Shield average for WA is under 26. The unlucky loser to be overlooked for the 15-man touring squad to South Africa was Phil Hughes, 25, who has a far superior first class record to Marsh and is dominating the Shield this season. "I'm not a selector but I caught up with Hughesy at the Allan Border Medal (on Monday night) and he was certainly disappointed," Clarke said. Shaun Marsh's selection in the Test squad has raised plenty of eyebrows. He understands and is realistic about how he gets back in the team and that's about making as many runs as he possibly can. He's played really well in first class cricket this year and all he can do is keep putting runs on the boards for the selectors to keep looking at him. Playing at the highest level is tough and you have to go through some ups and down to work out how you play your best. I think Hughesy is a good example of that. He's got an enormous amount of talent, he's a great fella, the boys love him around the group and I think his game continues to improve. I'm really confident Hughesy is going to play a lot of Test cricket for Australia.