Michael Clarke’s captaincy career might have been over before it began

Michael Clarke's captaincy career might have been over before it began

Australian cricket team’s physio Alex Kountouris has revealed that Michael Clarke’s career as captain would have ended even before it began. Clarke took over the captaincy in September 2011 from Ricky Ponting, and tasted success immediately when he lead Australia to a Test series win in Sri Lanka. However, Clarke, who is set to retire after this week’s final Ashes 2015 Test at The Oval, may have not played for this long had it not been untiring efforts by the cricketer and the physio, Kountouris. ALSO READ:

Kountouris revealed that Clarke suffered a severe injury just two weeks before the start of the Sri Lankan tour, and it might have ended his career prematurely at the age of 30. According to The Daily Telegraph, Cricket Australia (CA) kept the matters in wraps. But now the physio has not only revealed all the information but has also slammed those who criticised Clarke, calling them “cruel and ignorant.” ALSO READ: Steven Smith confirmed as Australia’s Test captain after Ashes 2015

“Two weeks before the tour we were playing a practice match up in Brisbane and he went to play a cut shot and felt something go in his back. “Everyone saw he had hurt his back … but what they didn’t see was that in the middle of the night he was in excruciating pain and we were contemplating going to hospital to admit him. He had a lot of pain down his leg and a lot of weakness in his foot — he’d pinched a nerve in his back and it was the extreme of the injury,” Kountouris was quoted as saying.

“We consulted the surgeon a few days later because we didn’t know if it was going to get better or not. The problem with surgery and the reason why we’ve gone out of our way to avoid surgery with his back is the results are not consistent. It’s always quite dicey and it’s really the end of the road, in that you’ve got to accept that things might not come good. ALSO READ: Ryan Harris has no regrets as he gears up for coaching jobs following retirement

“The surgeon was great and didn’t want to go in straight away and said basically give him one last chance. He said ‘if this happens again, we’re going to have to operate,” he continued.

Kountouris said it was extremely lucky for Clarke to have survived the tour without any further damage. “He came to Sri Lanka and I was amazed he actually turned up fit and ready to go. He wasn’t perfect, but he had a very good tour … played really well in the one-dayers and made a hundred in the Tests. That was the worst injury I’ve seen him have apart from when he ruptured his hamstring last summer.”

It is a well-known fact that Clarke worked really hard on his body to remain fit over all these years. He would reach the training sessions before everyone else, and would also spend considerable amount of time with Kountouris to remain free from injuries. The report added Kountouris asserting that Clarke should not have played in a match at Melbourne, especially when he had suffered a hamstring injury a few days before.

Kountouris has criticised those who have said objectionable things about Clarke, especially questioning his intent. “It’s when things go horribly, that’s when you build the close relationship. He’s worked his bum off to play for Australia. There’s lots of tours where he almost shouldn’t have played. It was borderline whether he was going to make it or not. “There’s tours he could have pulled out of easily and we would have gladly written him off and said he was injured.  “But he wants to play for his country.”

“There’s been no one that’s worked harder than him to play a game. He should be very proud of that and those of us who have worked with him are also proud, because it’s unbelievable (what he’s achieved) with the challenges that have been there.”