Michael Clarke, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury, his third in recent times, might well feature at some stage during India's upcoming tour of Australia. The two teams are scheduled to feature in a four-Test series, beginning at the Gabba, Brisbane, on December 4th. The Tests will be followed by a triangular series, with England as the third team.
Cricket Australia physiotherapist, Alex Kountouris, remains confident that skipper, Michael Clarke, will play some part in the upcoming home summer. The Australian captain re-aggravated his hamstring injury during the first ODI against South Africa in Perth last Friday and is considered as a doubtful starter for the first Test against India, starting on 4th December at the Gabba, Brisbane.
Kountouris however reckons that Clarke will be fit and available for the first Test against India. Addressing a press conference, Kountauris suggested that Clarke's injury wasn't as serious as initially thought. "[Clarke's injury] is not that dramatic that he's going to miss the whole summer," Kountouris said.
"There comes a point where there's no more healing to be done and waiting longer does not give any more benefits.The real risks for him are he's got a back injury, it puts a lot of pressure on his hamstrings, he's an older athlete and that's a risk factor. He's had multiple hamstring injuries on both legs. They're not risk factors we can get rid of," he added.
The physio said Clarke's injury was in a 'complex tendon' and it has healed as much as it could have. He also rejected suggestions that the Australian captain made a hasty return to international cricket. "The first time he runs it could tear in an instant. It's not a healing thing," Kountouris said.
"We make sure he's running, he's running hard, he's running well. He's had multiple [tears]. [The latest tear] is not a good outcome but I don't think he came back too early," he added.
This is the third time since August that Clarke has been laid low with a hamstring injury. Cricket Australia's high performance manager, Pat Howard, had earlier expressed apprehensions about Clarke's injury and had suggested that the Australian captain should prioritise the 2015 World Cup and the Ashes series in England next winter.
In better news for the Aussies, wicket-keeper batsman, Brad Haddin, who sustained a shoulder injury while attempting a catch during the second Test against Pakistan is said to be on the path of recovery and is expected to feature in New South Wales' Sheffield Shield game next week.
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