Injury keeps Michael Clarke out of UAE tour

Injured Australia captain Michael Clarke has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan in the UAE. Australia is scheduled to play Pakistan in October. Clarke who has a history of bad hamstring has injured it once again and because the hamstring injury he sustained during the recent tri-series in Zimbabwe he will have to stay at home and watch his team battle it out against the sub-continental heavy weights in their own backyards.

“Clarke has a significant hamstring injury” he underwent scans and it “demonstrated tendon damage which complicates the recovery” said Alex Kountouris, Cricket Australia’s physiotherapist. At the same time the physio said he was hopeful of the skipper making a cut in time before the test series but could not give an official word as it will depend on the way Clarke recovers.

The tour of UAE starts for Australia with a Twenty20I against the Pakistan team on October 5. It will be followed by a three ODIs series commencing from October 7 to 12. While the test series begins form October 22 with the first of the two test series.

Clarke had slight strain in his hamstring which could have cured easily had he rested in mid of the Zimbabwe series. But he continued with it and which aggravated his injury.

In the game which Australia lost Clarke had to retire hurt while batting, but as his team collapsed to the spin challenge from Zimbabwe he had to come back again to bat. He did score a half-century in that innings, but was in vain as Australia had one of its most humiliating loses in recent times losing the game by three wickets.

After that match Clarke was forced to fly back home and rehabilitate as his team mates played the rest of the series matches. Though Australia recovered from there to win the series and reduce the damage. It gave them a bigger damage with a sustained injury to Clarke.

Australia’s hopes from the UAE series will suffer a huge blow with their skipper’s absence, his presence, experience and talent as a batsman, captain and fielder would be missed by his team. How costly will this ignorance prove for him and Australia only time will tell. This could be Pakistan’s golden chance to rumble the Aussies in the ODI series which they are otherwise tough to beat in any conditions.