Michael Clarke to play Australia's warm-up game against UAE

Michael Clarke

Melbourne, Feb 9 (IANS) Australia captain Michael Clarke will play in the warm-up game against the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday as he intensifies his endeavour to be fit for the World Cup.

Coach Darren Lehmann said that if Clarke gets through training on Tuesday, he will play against UAE in the final warm-up game before the World Cup starts on February 14.

"Michael, if he gets through training tomorrow hopefully, he will play the trial game on Wednesday so that is a pleasing thing for us. He is training. So now it's a case of getting him up to speed with the fielding and away he goes from there," Lehmann was quoted as saying by The Sydney Morning Herald.

The coach said important all-rounder James Faulkner will bat in the nets on Tuesday as he recovers from injury, but he would definitely miss the England game.

"He is going OK (but) he won't play the first game," Lehmann said.

"Everyone has them - injuries - you just have to deal with it, we have some good depth and some good players that miss out so that is a good sign. At the moment they are ticking along nicely."

Clarke's return to the side, should he be fit for the England game, appears most likely to be at the expense of one-day captain George Bailey.