“Whilst we would have loved to have him available for this game, we’re making sure he’s 100% and ready to go for Bangladesh”
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Australia captain Michael Clarke will miss the national team’s World Cup opener against England in Melbourne on February 14.
Clarke, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury, is expected to make his international comeback when Australia face Bangladesh on February 21.
Clarke was seen jogging and walking around the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) following his encouraging knock of 64 against the United Arab Emirates in a warm-up match on Wednesday.
“Happy with the way he pulled up and really happy with his progress,” Australia head coach Darren Lehmann said. “But we’re going to stick with the plan and he’ll play against Bangladesh. Really happy with the way it’s gone, the way he batted, ran, fielded, bowled, he ticked all the boxes. A good solid week [ahead] and get prepared for Bangladesh.”
Lehmann also noted that Clarke has to pass a few fitness tests before he is allowed to make his international comeback.
“He’s very keen to play but we’ve got to make sure that when he gets back he’ll be ready to go, and he will be on Saturday [next] week,” Lehmann said. “We just had a chat. He’s respectful of what we’re trying to do, get him right. He’s a quality player and a quality leader. Whilst we would have loved to have him available for this game, we’re making sure he’s 100% and ready to go for Bangladesh.”
Meanwhile, all-rounder James Faulkner, who is currently nursing a side strain, was also seen jogging around the MCG on Thursday.
As of right now, it is still unclear how long Faulkner will be out of action for.
“He’s batting comfortably now, so that’s a good sign for us,” Lehmann said. “We’re just dictated by the medical team at the moment with that. Hopefully he’ll resume bowling very shortly. We’ll wait and see on that one.”
When asked if Faulkner would play as a batsman instead of an all-rounder, Lehmann said: “We’ll look at those options, depending on where we’re playing and what the conditions are like, and who we’re playing is probably the key. We’ll look at all of those.”