Michael Clarke is fighting against time to be fit enough to represent Australia in the 2015 cricket World Cup.
No player in world cricket will want to miss the competition and Clarke is no exception.
The Australian selectors have set a deadline of 21 February for the player to prove his fitness after he suffered a hamstring/back injury in the Test series against India.
In a bid to get back in shape and also prove his fitness to the selectors, the Australian captain batted for around 15 minutes at the Sydney Cricket Ground facing some throwdowns.
In Clarke's absence, it is George Bailey who will be captaining the Aussies in the ODI tri-series, which started today with India and England being the other two teams.
The 15-minute net session is just a start for Clarke, but he needs to step up his recovery over the next few weeks.
"The boys are playing at the SCG so I'll go and bat again. It will be restricted, but I'm hoping I can just continually build it up over the next few weeks," said Clarke.
"I'm going to struggle for the first game of the World Cup. The reason I can say that in advance now is because the surgeon feels there's a certain time frame my hamstring needs before he feels comfortable."
If Clarke wants to play in one of the most awaited events in the ICC calendar, he needs to follow the strict rehab program set for him.
"At the moment I'm following the Australian medical staff rehab program but a lot of that is dictated by the surgeon," Clarke was quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph. "I'm flying to Melbourne on Saturday to see the surgeon on Sunday.
"Time-frame wise I'm really confident I'll be right to go at 100 percent in the not too distant future."
This is not the first time that the Australian has had a major injury keeping him out of a major series. Hence, there was speculation that Clarke might retire at the end of the 2015 World Cup, with the serious injuries to his hamstrings and his lower back putting his future in doubt.
But, Clarke is certain that he has a few years still left in him as he is just 33 years old and thinks he can play the next world cup in 2019 as well.
"I'm 33-years of age, look at someone like Brad Haddin who is 37 and still loving his cricket and contributing to the team. I don't see any reason why I can't play in the next World Cup," added the Australian skipper.
