Australia captain Michael Clarke is pledging his support for the national selection panel which dropped Alex Doolan and Steve O’Keefe for the second Test against Pakistan.

Doolan made a duck and five in last week’s defeat in Dubai and Clarke has been strongly backing his No.3 batsman.

Clarke said after the first Test that Doolan’s class hadn’t deserted him.

“He just made an unbelievable hundred in the tour game (against Pakistan A),” said Clarke, who is not a Test selector.

“Dools will be fine. He’s showed he can bat in these conditions.

“I’m confident that come this second Test he’ll probably make another hundred.”

But Thursday’s axing of Doolan for offspinning allrounder Glenn Maxwell left Clarke with a replacement who has a first-class average of 14 in the crucial first-drop role.

“Maxie will bat at No.3, yes,” Clarke said.

“It (batting order) was completely my call and I think Maxie is a real positive player.

“He plays spin pretty well and I think you will find if spin doesn’t open the bowling it will be on pretty early.”

The skipper described Maxwell as an “all-round package” with bat, ball and in the field.

Rod Marsh’s selection panel chose Mitchell Starc as a third quick ahead of spinner O’Keefe who was Australia’s leadiing wicket-taker in Dubai.

“The selectors went with what they feel is the best eleven to help us win this Test match,” Clarke said.

“I support their decision.

“It’s always tough to work out what’s you think the best eleven is going to be on a wicket that you think is going to be quite slow and hard to take 20 wickets.

“So we have given ourselves every opportunity by the amount of guys who can bowl in our team.

“If we were playing in different conditions or another part of the world it might have been different.

“But I had a good chat to (vice-captain) Brad Haddin yesterday and when the selectors gave us that eleven we thought that was best for our team”

Pakistan reached 2-304 at stumps on the first day.