Michael Clarke - Hamstring End Of His Career?

someblokecalleddave

Well-Known Member
Whoa! What the hell? Honestly, at his age given that he must be under the most capable body of physio's around, surely this can't be? The incident looked so innocuous? Anyone able to explain in more detail? If he was over-weight and not fit, I could comprehend, but at his age and given the training he must do - why?
 
I've moved this to the Australia board someblokecalleddave someblokecalleddave .

Clarke has had back problems for most of his career, some of which can be put down to issues with his hamstrings given they have a linked relationship with a person's lower back from a physical point of view. Hamstring and other soft tissue injuries can become rather frequent when an athlete passes the age of 30 as the body becomes older, the injury doesn't repair as well as what it did at a younger age and it also takes longer to repair itself.

Given Clarke has had a number of hamstring injuries this year, the tendons would have become more prone to damage and hence explains why he has again pulled another hamstring. You could argue he wasn't 100% fit heading into the game anyway and only played because he wanted to play in honour of Phil Hughes.

I'm sure L Liz Ward would be able to shed more light on injuries such as this.
 
I've moved this to the Australia board someblokecalleddave someblokecalleddave .

Clarke has had back problems for most of his career, some of which can be put down to issues with his hamstrings given they have a linked relationship with a person's lower back from a physical point of view. Hamstring and other soft tissue injuries can become rather frequent when an athlete passes the age of 30 as the body becomes older, the injury doesn't repair as well as what it did at a younger age and it also takes longer to repair itself.

Given Clarke has had a number of hamstring injuries this year, the tendons would have become more prone to damage and hence explains why he has again pulled another hamstring. You could argue he wasn't 100% fit heading into the game anyway and only played because he wanted to play in honour of Phil Hughes.

I'm sure L Liz Ward would be able to shed more light on injuries such as this.
Yeah that's what I'm hoping for - Liz's response. Do you know then when the initial injury happened or did he come to professional cricket as pre-injured player, knowing that he would suffer from injuries and niggles all the time? Or is it that he's such a valued player in the side and in his club side, he's never been allowed to recover 100%?
 
His back has been dodgy for as long as I can remember, been saying for awhile that his retirement might be a lot closer than many think.
 
His back has been dodgy for as long as I can remember, been saying for awhile that his retirement might be a lot closer than many think.
It is tough for him but i don't remember a time he didn't have this back complaint which is causing the hammy issue. From memory it was his second or third series it showed up and has just slowly got worse. It could be the end but you would have to think that defending the Ashes in England will be firmly in his mind as a good retirement if he cannot make the next home summer. Despite my overall position on Clarke, i do hope he can get through this and play another couple of years of tests. Now is the time to drop him from the ODI team, he is not needed there as a batsman or a leader and playing the world cup will pretty much end it with his back.
 
It is tough for him but i don't remember a time he didn't have this back complaint which is causing the hammy issue. From memory it was his second or third series it showed up and has just slowly got worse. It could be the end but you would have to think that defending the Ashes in England will be firmly in his mind as a good retirement if he cannot make the next home summer. Despite my overall position on Clarke, i do hope he can get through this and play another couple of years of tests. Now is the time to drop him from the ODI team, he is not needed there as a batsman or a leader and playing the world cup will pretty much end it with his back.
That sounds like it makes total sense, just let the bloke rest, allow him to recover and have him ready for the real deal. Then if the Doc's say, look mate your backs knackered, we'll have you ready for the Ashes, but if you go back to series after series playing, the bottom line is you're going to have a re-occurring issue. That then might allow him to as you say go out on a potential high in the Ashes series?
 
His back has been dodgy for as long as I can remember, been saying for awhile that his retirement might be a lot closer than many think.
Steve Smith to be Captain. Big questions over Clarke you would think other wise they would have let Haddin lead the team.
 
Smiths just a kid! Do you reckon he's up to it? I can see it happening in 5 or more years time, but the next Ashes - surely not?

Probably not ideal even though he was the one they would have been looking at long term it's very early (I imagine they thought Clarke would have been good for another couple of years but who knows now), he's only really recently come good at Test level. Hopefully it doesn't mess with his form. Problem is Haddin is the only other option and but he is 38 next year, there is pretty much no one else in the team suitable.. Warner has done a bit of Captaining but although maturing a bit recently is still a bit of loose unit and probably not the sharpest tool in the shed, more suited to be a VC I'd say. And Watson just lol, lucky to be in the team atm.
 
Yeah that's what I'm hoping for - Liz's response. Do you know then when the initial injury happened or did he come to professional cricket as pre-injured player, knowing that he would suffer from injuries and niggles all the time? Or is it that he's such a valued player in the side and in his club side, he's never been allowed to recover 100%?

He's had back issues since he was 17 and they've gotten more frequent and obviously more severe ever since then. He is definitely in need of a prolonged period of rest of at least three months so he can get his body right.

Given he's had surgery today, I would say he won't play in the World Cup. His best chance of playing next will be in the tour to the West Indies which begins in late May 2015.
 
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