Clarke plays in nets but doubts remain
Source: Agencies |
November 24, 2010, Wednesday
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AUSTRALIA vice-captain Michael Clarke remains in doubt for the first test against England, with a decision on his availability likely to wait until the morning of the game.
Clarke is suffering from a back injury and skipped training on Monday before taking part in some drills yesterday, with the Ashes series to begin in Brisbane tomorrow.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has doubts over whether Clarke can prove his fitness but said in the case of "someone as important to our team as he is, we'd probably wait until Thursday morning."
Uncapped batsman Usman Khawaja trained with the team yesterday and is on standby.
Clarke had to show some signs of improved fitness during the Australian team's training session at the Gabba Ground yesterday to have a chance of playing in the first test of the five-test series.
"He's been in this situation a few times in the last couple of years, he's had these niggly things with his back and been able to come up most times," Ponting said.
"If we don't see him bat (Tuesday) then it will be hard to see him considered for the game."
Later, Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson said Clarke's training yesterday was encouraging.
"He batted for about 45 minutes today. He had a bit of a throw-down in the outside nets," Johnson said. "He said that he felt pretty good with the throw-downs and with the batting stuff that he did, so that's good signs for him and for Australia."
Clarke has battled a degenerative back condition for much of his test career. The condition flared while he played in a domestic first class match for New South Wales 10 days ago and forced him to miss last week's round of the Sheffield Shield competition, which would have been his last Ashes tuneup.
England has no injury concerns around any of its prospective test players.
Clarke is suffering from a back injury and skipped training on Monday before taking part in some drills yesterday, with the Ashes series to begin in Brisbane tomorrow.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting has doubts over whether Clarke can prove his fitness but said in the case of "someone as important to our team as he is, we'd probably wait until Thursday morning."
Uncapped batsman Usman Khawaja trained with the team yesterday and is on standby.
Clarke had to show some signs of improved fitness during the Australian team's training session at the Gabba Ground yesterday to have a chance of playing in the first test of the five-test series.
"He's been in this situation a few times in the last couple of years, he's had these niggly things with his back and been able to come up most times," Ponting said.
"If we don't see him bat (Tuesday) then it will be hard to see him considered for the game."
Later, Australia fast bowler Mitchell Johnson said Clarke's training yesterday was encouraging.
"He batted for about 45 minutes today. He had a bit of a throw-down in the outside nets," Johnson said. "He said that he felt pretty good with the throw-downs and with the batting stuff that he did, so that's good signs for him and for Australia."
Clarke has battled a degenerative back condition for much of his test career. The condition flared while he played in a domestic first class match for New South Wales 10 days ago and forced him to miss last week's round of the Sheffield Shield competition, which would have been his last Ashes tuneup.
England has no injury concerns around any of its prospective test players.
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