Australia captain Michael Clarke yesterday said there are doubts over his participation in the fourth Test against India starting here today due to his chronic back injury.
“At this stage, there is still doubt of me pulling up fit enough to play tomorrow but I’ve been given every opportunity. I’ll have plenty of treatment again today. I’ve got another 24 hours to assess my fitness and do everything I can to get myself right to play this Test match,” said Clarke during a press conference at the Feroz Shah Kotla.
Michael Clarke
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Clarke said he has been ‘touch and go for a number of games’ in the past and hoped to get fit to perform at his best.u00a0“I’ve been touch and go for a number of games, especially in the shorter form of the game.
Boxing Day Test this summer, I was touch and go all the way up to the end until I passed the fitness Test. I’ve been touch and go a number of times but I’ve never missed a Test due to injury so I don’t want this to be the first. If I’m going to play then I’ll be fit to perform at my best. If I can’t do that then I won’t be available for selection,” he said.
‘Won’t affect career’
Clarke said his chronic back injury will in no way cut short his international cricket career.u00a0“No, I don’t think so, it won’t have any impact,” he said. “It hasn't had any impact in regards to my Test cricket at this stage. I don’t think it will play any role at all,” said Clarke.
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