Michael Clarke denied suggestions he has fallen out with Cricket Australia and his teammates on the day he made his comeback from injury playing grade cricket for Western Suburbs.
The Australia captain batted for almost three hours in making 51 against Gordon at Sydney’s Chatswood Oval in his first match since surgery on his hamstring last month.
It is that issue which saw Cricket Australia hand Clarke a February 21 deadline to prove his fitness for the World Cup.
While the 33-year-old says he is ahead of schedule regarding his recovery from injury, his participation in the World Cup is still in doubt.
Already ruled out of Australia’s opening game of the tournament against England at the MCG on February 14, Clarke must prove he is fit for the team’s second game against Bangladesh in Brisbane a week later.
It is that strict schedule that has been at the heart of Clarke’s alleged fall-out with Cricket Australia bosses, with the captain’s camp said to be privately seething he has been given such a short window to recover, given the World Cup is a marathon event which spans more than six weeks.
The suggestion Clarke’s Australia teammates have already moved on from his captaincy, preferring the fresher leadership styles of stand-ins Steve Smith and George Bailey, is another strand to an issue which threatens to disrupt the team’s World Cup campaign.
Clarke, though, has played down talk of any behind-the-scenes fallout, saying: “I’m not going to get into it. It seems like some people in particular are going to write what they’re going to write. I’m really happy and comfortable with my relationship with Cricket Australia firstly, certainly with my teammates so whatever.
“It’s water off a duck’s back for me. I’ve copped it my whole career so it’s another day, another newspaper sold. I don’t really care. My job is to get fit and healthy and I can’t wait to get back on the park and play for Australia again.”
Clarke faced 128 balls on his way to a half-century for Western Suburbs on Saturday before being dismissed by off-spinner Josh Poysden.
Cricket Australia later confirmed Clarke was set to step up his recovery by playing against a Bangladesh XI in Brisbane on Thursday.
“Providing Clarke shows no ill effects from his first outing, his next match is set to be on Thursday at Allan Border Field in Brisbane for a Cricket Australia XI against the Bangladesh ICC Cricket World Cup squad where he is scheduled to play as a batsman with a limited fielding role,” said a statement.
The man himself is optimistic about his chances of playing in the World Cup.
“I’m certainly ahead of where the surgeon and the Australian medical staff thought I’d be at the six-and-a-half week stage,” said Clarke. “The fact I’m back on the field playing is a really positive sign. I think the experts are saying I’m a good week-and-a-half ahead of schedule but it’s one day at a time for me.
“Like any injured player you want to get on the park and play for your country. My goal is to get fit as soon as I can. Then there is a timeframe set by Australia and the selectors that I certainly understand and respect.
“It’s about me trying to take every single step and then, as soon as I’m fit, I’ll be pushing the Australian medical staff to let me get back on the park and play for Australia. Everybody’s been so supportive, the medical staff are working me really hard and they also respect I want to get back on the park and play.”
Bailey, who is captaining Australia’s one-day side in Clarke’s absence, said of his teammate’s comeback: “He will be really happy. More importantly than the runs he scored, I think he batted for close on three hours so for him to be able to sustain that physical activity for that long is great for him and really important for us in terms of having him back and leading the side when he is fit and healthy.”
Asked whether Australia’s World Cup plans were contingent on Clarke returning to the side, Bailey, speaking ahead of Sunday’s Tri-Series final against England in Perth, said: “It’s a weird question. I still think we can win it without him, but I’ll certainly prefer to win it with him.”
