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Australian captain Michael Clarke has reportedly been ruled out of the first Test match against India, starting next Thursday at the Gabba.
After a day of tit-for-tat with the selectors, The Advertiser have reported that the National Selection Panel have pulled the pin on Clarke’s hopes of proving his fitness, and will announce their decision at some point today.
Clarke was set to play for his grade cricket club Western Sydney on Saturday, after ruling himself out of the tour match starting on Friday. Clarke was insistent it was the medical staff’s decision.
But CA haven’t budged on their demand that Clarke play in the tour match, and will rule him out of the first Test due to a problematic hamstring injury. This will be the first Test match on home soil Clarke will have had to miss due to his chronic back problem.
CA’s position has not changed since our announcement of the Test squad. That is, Michael is to continue undergoing daily treatment for his injured hamstring as well as his ongoing back condition, with the aim of increasing his running over the coming days,” a CA statement said on Monday night.
Yesterday, Clarke was still at loggerheads with Cricket Australia, and adamant he would play for Wests and prove his fitness.
“Ideally if I can tick all the boxes along the way and play on Saturday, get through that. Hopefully I can make myself available then it is completely up to the selectors to work out what to do,” Clarke said.
“My focus is listening to the experts as I’ve always done. Over the last 10, 12 years I’ve been playing for Australia I don’t think I’ve ever walked onto a field not being 100 per cent fit to perform. So I would hope with my experience that the selectors, my teammates, Cricket Australia staff respect my opinion there.”
The Advertiser have reported that Cricket Australia Medical staff have ruled him out of both the grade cricket and tour fixture.
It spells the end of a period of doubt that began during the third ODI against South Africa, when Clarke pulled up after running a single.
The focus for Clarke now shifts to the second Test in Adelaide on the 12th December.
It also means the debut of Brad Haddin as captain.
One of Callum Ferguson, Alex Doolan, Phil Hughes and Shaun Marsh is in the running to replace him in the batting line-up.
What do you think of all this Roarers? Who should replace Clarke for the first Test?
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