Michael Clarke has received some much-needed positive news about his hamstring trouble and appears on track to play in next month's Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates.
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There were concerns Clarke's latest hamstring injury was tendon-related, which would have been more serious than a simple hamstring strain, but further investigation of his scans has shown that is not the case.
The Australian captain has not been ruled out of the ODI series that precedes the Tests, but the four-day tour match against Pakistan A from October 15 in Sharjah is shaping as a more realistic goal.
The 33-year-old is expected to make the trip with the rest of the limited-overs squad at the end of this month, which was always his intention given his history of back and hamstring issues means he needs as much time as possible before he plays after international flights.
As chairman of selectors Rod Marsh said in announcing the squads last week, "you can't be confident about Michael, but he has only missed one game in over 100 [Tests]. He is doing intensive rehabilitation work in Sydney, but has not yet started running or batting."
Medical staff are sure to take a cautious approach with Clarke, whose degenerative back condition requires constant management. He has had recurring problems with his left hamstring, which forced him home early from the recent triangular series in Zimbabwe.
When he returned, he declared he had no intention of quitting ODIs after next year's World Cup, but in the past two years he and Cricket Australia have clearly prioritised Tests. He has missed one-dayers in the West Indies, England and Zimbabwe.
Should Australia's captain and best player of spin recover in time to play the first Test in Dubai from October 22, Pakistan's job will be made even more challenging following the suspension of dangerous off spinner Saeed Ajmal for throwing.
The Pakistan Cricket Board opted not to appeal the International Cricket Council's verdict, instead summoning the inventor of the doosra, Saqlain Mushtaq, to lead Ajmal's remedial action in the hope he can return to international cricket with a clean action in time for the World Cup in February.
Australian coach Darren Lehmann has commended the ICC for getting serious about illegal actions, with five off spinners rubbed out in the past 10 months. "The ICC have obviously decided to have a crackdown on it and that's good for the game. We've got to make sure that area is right," Lehmann told Adelaide radio station Fiveaa.
"If you're within the rules then fine, if you're not, then you've got to be looked at. That's what they have decided to do. They have had a real crackdown on four-five players of late so what that tells coaches and players, and everyone coming through the game and the young guys, is you won't be able to do any of that moving forward."
Lehmann believes Australia got more out of the triangular series than South Africa ahead of the World Cup, despite being toppled by the Proteas in the final, and dismissed suggestions of tension with Clarke after he aired a gripe about the non-selection of Steve Smith when the team was upset by Zimbabwe.
The coach said he wanted selection issues kept private. "[It's] nothing. He said something, I said something. That's what happened," Lehmann said. "Clarke and I laughed about that last couple of days, it's been quite interesting. No issues whatsoever.
"We deal with those issues straightaway and move on. Captains will be disappointed when they lose, as they should be, and as we want him to be. We were disappointed and that's the way it goes sometimes."