Cricket: Clarke out of New Zealand match

Australia captain Michael Clarke remained sidelined from Champions Trophy action after he was ruled out of Wednesday’s match against New Zealand, Cricket Australia said in a statement on Tuesday.

A recurrence of the star batsman’s longstanding back injury meant he missed defending champions Australia’s opening 48-run defeat by England at Edgbaston on Saturday.

He will again be absent when Australia return to the Birmingham venue for their trans-Tasman Group A clash with New Zealand on Wednesday.

Australia are now pondering Clarke’s fitness for next week’s final pool match against Sri Lanka at The Oval.

By then, however, they may not be in a position to reach the semi-finals should they be defeated by the Black Caps and other results go against them.

In a Cricket Australia statement issued Tuesday, team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said: “Michael is continuing to have intensive treatment in London, and whilst he is making good progress, he has not improved sufficiently enough to play the game against New Zealand on Wednesday.

“We will continue to monitor his progress and determine his availability for next week’s final group game against Sri Lanka.”

Stand-in skipper George Bailey said Clarke’s absence had come as no surprise.

“It’s something we’ve been preparing for. I don’t think ‘Pup’ (Clarke) was ever going to come in and play a game without having trained,” Bailey told reporters at Edgbaston on Tuesday.

“So the fact he hadn’t rejoined the group as of yesterday (Monday), I think everyone assumed what was going on.”

In Clarke’s absence, Australia, winners of the previous two editions of the Champions Trophy, were bowled out for just 65 in a warm-up match by India and could only manage a modest 221 for nine against England, raising fresh questions about their top-order batting.

“We missed him last game. He’s our captain and our best batsman, so we miss him every time he’s not with us,” said Bailey.

“But as any team does, when you’ve got your best players out, the challenge is for someone to step up and fill the hole.”

Clarke is considered a key, indeed in some quarters an essential, figure as both batsman and captain if Australia are to regain the Ashes from England, starting with the first Test at Nottingham’s Trent Bridge ground on July 10.

Bailey, however, refused to speculate about whether the 32-year-old Clarke would be fit to play some part in the Champions Trophy or the Ashes.

“I’m not qualified, I’m no good at backs,” he said. “I’ve got no idea what he’s going through. My understanding is he’s still trying to fix it day by day.

“Having played with him in the past, there’s times when it (the back) just does suddenly free up and he’s right to go again. And there’s other times when it obviously takes longer.

“It’s an issue he’s had a while. ‘Pup’ knows how to deal with it as best as anyone.

“He’s not going to make any silly decisions and he knows the summer that’s coming up as well.”

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