Michael Clarke may not get fit before start of 1st Ashes Test
Doubts continue to persist on Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 and England. The game, which will be played at the Gabba in Brisbane, will start from
25 November and Clarke hasn’t had a net session since suffering from his back problem during the recent ODI series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758.
Clarke was the only one of the two Australian cricketers who did not participate in any of the first class games that were played last week. All the remaining Australian cricketers were involved in one of
the New South Wales-Tasmania, Victoria-Western Australia or the England-Australia A game.
Clarke could not bat even in the side’s first training session in the build-up to the Ashes and will need to prove his fitness on Tuesday. Clarke suffers from a degenerative back condition and has suffered
from these issues from time to time in his career.
According to the team's physiotherapist, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Alex-Kountouris-c43123, the management had taken a decision to allow Clarke to rest in the lead-up to the first Test match. He also added, "Until he bats tomorrow we can't
be absolute 100 per cent sure that he's right to go."
On the first day of the side’s training, Clarke spent most of the time in the dressing room and was attended to by the physiotherapists.
The issue has been an ongoing one for Clarke and has flared up in the past as well. The issue for the selectors, in case Clarke does not get fit in time to play in the first Test match against England will
be to name a back-up batsman. Leg-spinning all-rounder Steven Smith may play in the side instead of Clarke while one of Callum Ferguson and Usman Khwaja could be named in the squad. Australia have never lost a Test match at the Gabba since 1989 and will be
hard-pressed to defend that record.
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