Former cricketer and cricket experts have raised their voice and asked Steve Smith to step down as Australia captain immediately. With the pressure on Smith rising, Michael Clarke put his hand up and said that he could return as Australia captain on Sunday.

The ball tampering controversy in the third Test against South Africa caught fire after Smith admitted it was pre-planned by them.

Clarke, who retired in 2015, told Australia's Nine Network about his plan. When asked if he would like to make a comeback as captain, he said, "If I was asked by the right people, then I would think about my answer."

The 36-year-old called it a huge mistake by Smith. "In my heart, I believe (Smith) has just made a really, really bad mistake. You know, I hope there can be a way around this, that he can continue to captain Australia," Clarke said.

"This is not about me at all. This is about Australian cricket and the future of Australian cricket and where these current players and this current structure and leadership sits.

"And my job is to make sure I can help this game come back from this."

Clarke expressed his sympathy for the current Australia skipper Smith. "My heart feels for him. If something is to happen to Steve Smith, then the captaincy cannot go to anybody that has been involved in this situation," he said.