Darren Lehmann denies Australia fallout with Michael Clarke

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/03/michael-clarke-darren-lehmann-australia-cricket-fallout

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The Australia coach Darren Lehmann has denied the existence of a bitter behind-the-scenes fallout with Michael Clarke, saying he is “sick” of speculation over his captain’s position.

Lehmann also indicated Clarke could be fit for Australia’s World Cup opener against England in Melbourne on 14 February, a match he had previously been ruled out of with a hamstring injury.

It is those fitness concerns which lie at the heart of the alleged feud between Cricket Australia and Clarke, which is proving an unwelcome distraction before the World Cup and next summer’s Ashes campaign in England.

Clarke made a playing comeback for Western Suburbs in a grade match against Gordon in Sydney last weekend, scoring 51 in his first action since hamstring surgery in December. It came after the 33-year-old sustained the injury while scoring a century in the first Test against India in Adelaide earlier that month, and has led to fierce speculation surrounding his availability for the forthcoming World Cup.

Cricket Australia have set their captain a much-debated deadline of 21 February for Clarke to prove his fitness for the tournament. That is when Australia play their second World Cup match against Bangladesh in Brisbane and it is a date which has been the cause of so much dispute, with Clarke’s camp said to have previously been given a much longer window for recovery during private discussions with the governing body.

However, Lehmann has attempted to diffuse the issue, telling the Adelaide radio station FiveAA: “I’m sick of it. I’m looking forward to him coming back. He played grade cricket on the weekend which is great, he’s playing up here on Thursday so I’ll get to have a look at him. I had a good chat to him and he pulled up really well from the grade game. He’s ahead of schedule and I think he’s said that in the press as well. Fingers crossed he might be.”

Australia’s players are thought to have moved on in Clarke’s absence, with Steven Smith enjoying the form of his career while captaining Australia in the remaining India Tests and the ever-popular George Bailey guiding the one-day side to the Tri-Series title last weekend.

Asked whether Clarke had his and the team’s full support, Lehmann said: “Always. He’s captain of Australia, the second most important position behind the prime minister as such, we need our captain playing well.

“When he played well he got a hundred in Adelaide and we won that Test match. We took a risk with that with his hamstring and the history of it but that was for good reason for obvious reasons as everyone knows.

“We all get on, that’s the great thing. Media can say what they like. Media will speculate and people are going to have their views. From our point of view we want our captain fit, which is great leading into the most important tournament for four years. We’ve got the World Cup, the West Indies tour and the Ashes, and we want him ready to go because he leads this side very well.”

Lehmann then went on to suggest Clarke could return for the England match at the MCG on Saturday week. “Now when he gets back we’ve got to make sure he’s right to go,” he said. “We can’t afford it to keep going on us in important stages. He knows that, he’s diligent, he’s good to go and really confident he’ll be right to lead us hopefully before Bangladesh, but definitely by Bangladesh.”

Australia’s players were thought to have been annoyed by Clarke’s commentary for Channel Nine during the India series. Lehmann, though, rejected those claims. “Not that I heard of and I speak to those guys all the time,” he said. “Channel Nine wanted to get an inside view and that’s no dramas. We didn’t really hear what was said to be honest because we were watching and playing the game –that’s what Channel Nine do and I had no dramas with it.”

Lehmann also confirmed that the all-rounder James Faulkner will be out of the World Cup opener against England with the side strain he sustained during Sunday’s Tri-Series final, although the Tasmanian is not facing the same fitness deadline as Clarke.