Sydney: Coach Darren Lehmann says Australia cricket captain Michael Clarke is "ahead of schedule" in his quest to be fit to play at next month's World Cup.
Australia's selectors have said Clarke must recover from a hamstring injury to play in his team's second World Cup match, against Bangladesh on February 21, to retain his place in the Australian squad. But Lehmann said on Monday that Clarke is on track to play in some of Australia's World Cup warm up matches.
"He's had a couple of bats in the nets, which is a really good thing for us. Fingers crossed, but he's ahead of schedule. We'd love him to play some warm up games, but we'll be guided by the medical staff there," Lehmann said.
Austrailia’s physiotherapist Alex Kountouris too issued a statement. "Michael is progressing well in his rehab and is currently running on a regular basis and has commenced batting. He remains on track for a return to play by February 21, the date we spoke of when the squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup was announced," Kountouris said.
