Michael Clarke column: Aussie skipper latest news on troublesome injuries

I‘LL do whatever it takes to give myself a chance of playing but I will always put the team first, writes Australia captain Michael Clarke.

Clarke: too much rest is bad for me

LET’S get straight to it.

The back. It’s been OK of late and I had a couple of injections before the flight to Dubai this week to free it up. I flew six days ahead of the other Test guys to give it the best chance of recovering.

And I tried to stand up and walk around as much as I could - while trying not to annoy my fellow passengers or bump into them while they slept - throughout the flight.

Now to the hamstring. There’s a slight tear in the muscle and I’ve been undergoing rehab a couple of times a day since coming home from Zimbabwe.

Michael Clarke remains plagued by back problems. Picture: Calum Robertson.

I’ve got a couple of weeks before the first Test, so there’s a bit of time for me to get it right. I’ve got to get my run volume and speed up. It’s probably around 60 to 70 per cent at the moment.

I’ve only missed one Test in my career due to injury and I’m hopeful I’ll be there for the first Test against Pakistan in Dubai from October 22.

As I have done my whole career I will do whatever it takes to give myself the best possible opportunity of playing. I will leave nothing to chance but, equally, I will always put the team first.

It’s been seven months since our last Test in Cape Town. A break like that effects every player differently. For me, I don’t like big breaks. It’s harder on my body and I like the continuity of playing regularly.

Michael Clarke says his hamstring is at about 60 or 70 per cent. Picture: Gregg Porteous

Obviously, this is the start of a huge period in all our cricketing lives - a journey that will take in, among other things, a home Test series against India, a home World Cup and an Ashes in England.

The trick for us will be removing as much of the hype and emotion as we can.

I’ve found in the past that when I get swept up in the build-up to a big event, the ultimate prize has seemed far away and unattainable.

We made it clear to the guys before last summer that this wasn’t about “the Ashes”, and all the hype and history that goes with that. It was about playing eleven English cricketers in five Tests on our own pitches.

The public and the media will create the build-up. I love that. But I feel that our job as players is to cut through that emotion, do our jobs and, with any luck, make Australia proud.

Michael Clarke’s ultimate goal will always be getting Australia to the top of the rankings.

So we’re not looking at these two Tests against Pakistan in Dubai and Abu Dhabi as playing second fiddle to more important series. We’re looking at it in its own right and the next step on the path to achieving our goal of returning to the top of Test and one-day cricket.

We’ve encountered challenges playing in Dubai before and Pakistan will pose a tough Test. The next few weeks will be spent focusing on our own games as well as analysing the opposition and the conditions.

We played well away from home in South Africa but we have to continue to improve in conditions that are different and that we aren’t suited to. That is the only way we will get better as individual players and reclaim the No. 1 ranking.

Originally published as Michael Clarke column: Aussie skipper latest news on troublesome injuries