Australia's been sold a Pup over Ricky Ponting's claims of aloofness, says Kim Hughes Kim Hughes, wielding a golf club, had a problematic relationship with Rod Marsh on the immediate left. FORMER Test skipper Kim Hughes says suggestions Michael Clarke failed to buy into the Australian team culture when he was vice-captain are nonsense. As Ricky Ponting attempts to mend bridges with Clarke, Hughes believes the Test skipper is being excessively blamed for Australia's decline as a cricketing power. Clarke was reportedly left furious when Ponting's new book claimed he drifted apart from the team during his relationship with Lara Bingle and could have invested more at team meetings. Hughes understands the importance of supportive senior players better than most given he was charged with hauling Australia out of the dark days of the early 1980s. The stylish former Test batsman had a strong rapport with deputy Allan Border and says he would be surprised if Clarke deliberately sat on his hands when he was Ponting's right-hand man. "You have to understand the group dynamics of an Australian team," said Hughes, who captained the side in 28 Tests between 1978-84. From a captain's point of view, your wicketkeeper and your senior bowler are just as vital. Robert Craddock compares the standing of Michael Clarke in Australian cricket circles to that of our greatest ever player, Sir Donald Bradman. The vice-captaincy is a bit over-rated. Just because someone is the deputy, it doesn't mean they have to provide the most input. That's nonsense. I can't say for sure if Michael did enough because I wasn't in the room with the team, but I think Michael has matured into a fantastic leader of men. He is a very intuitive captain, very natural, he pulls the right strings on the field. Apart from the captain, the wicketkeeper is the most influential person because he is at the coalface. He often has better relationships with the bowlers and he's receiving the ball from the fielders. He is the most important person from a chemistry point of view. It is absolutely crucial, even more so than what the vice-captain can provide. Ponting sent Clarke a text message on Tuesday to clarify the critique of his former deputy. He then told an Adelaide radio station Clarke's evolution as a leader had come with a greater understanding of his responsibilities. "I think Michael does like the changerooms," Ponting said. I mention a couple of things in the book about different times where Michael probably wasn't always thinking about that first and foremost but the more you play and the more you learn, you realise how important that is. We want to both try to move on from where we're at. He's got a lot of cricket to play. Hughes said Clarke seemed to be paying a heavy price for Australia's slide from the No.1 Test ranking. "At the end of the day, winning and scoring runs hides all sins," he said. Winning keeps people in teams. People haven't kept their positions in the Australian team because they have lacked consistency and lost games. It's bloody simple. Michael is doing everything he can and needs better performances from players around him.